Wrong Place, Wrong Time, Right Fate
by jilnachtaugen
Summary: Despite a certain secret, Petra tries to live the life of a normal high school girl. Until a fateful encounter with a strange man named Levi, will drag her in the middle of a dangerous conflict, where a strange group attempts to hunt down man-made vampires. Petra will have to learn to survive in this sick new reality. Fear, anxiety, choice awaits. Vampire AU (sort of). Levi x Petra
1. Chapter 1

**Hi everyone! Welcome to my new Levi x Petra fic. I know this chapter is super short but it's just a little preview!**

* * *

« Damn it, I'm super late! Really great stunt, Petra. Tim's gonna kill me. » I muttered to myself.

I'd been out with my friends to celebrate Marco's birthday and we didn't check the time. So I was now running in between the buildings, through empty streets under a completely black sky, at 12:56 am. To top it all off, I'd forgotten my phone and I was still ten minutes away from home. And little detail, I had a strawberry lollipop in my mouth. I stopped at a certain point to catch my breath and leaned my back on a building. While doing so, I looked up, hoping to see the moon and a couple stars. But that's when I saw something a whole lot more terrifying. A shadow. The shadows of a person in a long coat. Leaning over the edge of the very same building I was leaning on. I should mention it was a ten story tall one. My first thought was that this person wasn't there to admire the view. They were leaning way too much. My mouth dropped and my lollipop fell out. My first instinct was to climb the emergency staircase and go to the roof as fast as I could. Once there I said.

« Hey, are you okay? » I asked the person while still trying to catch my breath.

It was a man with black hair. He wasn't very tall though. He slowly turned around. His eyes were beautiful but his expression was well…unreadable. A real pokerface. He stared at me for a couple seconds and then jumped on to the small wall that was suppose to keep you from falling. My heart raced. I threw myself towards him and grabbed one of his wrists with both my hands as he was getting ready to jump.

« Please, wait! You can't jump! »

Once more he turned his head back to me and stared, still expressionless.

« You can't jump! Why do you want to do that? Are you in some kind of trouble? Why do you want to die? »

He looked a little surprised.

« Can I do something for you? I can call someone or… »

I stopped talking when he chuckled. I gave him a confused look. He smiling from the corner of his mouth and his eyes looked like they were completely focused on me now. Without realizing, I had been staring in the eyes. He truly was a gorgeous person. He completely turned around and jumped of the small wall to land right in front of me. He was still a bit taller than me. It was scary but somehow I didn't back off. He raised his gloved hand and grabbed a lock of my hair. He gently tugged on it.

« It's dangerous to be so reckless little girl. Approaching a stranger such as myself at this hour of the night. » His tone was incredibly seductive, so much that it was scary. I wanted to back off but my legs wouldn't move. I opened my mouth but nothing came out.

« I uh… »

« I should tell you though, I wasn't trying to die. Still, maybe I should thank you for worrying about me. »

He let go off my hair and grabbed my chin, and got closer to my face.

« You are cute. What's your name, love? »

« I'm... Petra. » Why did I tell him? This guy seems like a creep.

His grin widened and he got closer and gave a quick lick to my lips. I gasped and backed off a couple steps bringing my hand to cover my mouth. I was now officially creeped out. The man licked his own lips.

« What do you think you're doing you creep? »

« You taste like strawberries. It's nice. Well, 'till we meet again, my naive little savior. » When he said that, I thought I caught a glimpse of something glowing in his mouth.

He let me go and in one swift and elegant move, jumped over the edge. I ran to it and looked at the ground. He'd actually landed without a scratch on another lower roof. This guy must be a seriously skilled free runner if he'd been able to do that. I stared at him in awe. He turned around once more and smiled at me. I couldn't hear him, but I read his lips.

« I'll be sure to return the favor. »

At the time, little did I know this encounter was only the start of a much bigger and terrifying series of events. Unlike no one could ever imagine.

* * *

 **Hope you guys are curious now! ;)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! Here's the real chapter one! It's mostly character introduction but I hope it'll get you interested! Enjoy!**

* * *

I was sitting in the back of my surrogate dad's car, lost in thought and staring at my feet. I didn't know what to say. I knew that if I started talking, I wouldn't say anything smart. I was still pressing the ice pack that the nurse had given me at school for the bump on the back of my head. I looked at his reflexion in the rearview mirror. He looked angry, but his eyes were focused on the road. Then I got tired of the silence. 'I might as well get the lecture over with.'

"Are you angry?"

"What do you think Petra? Why in the world were you fighting at school?"

"It wasn't a fight. These girls had no right to pick on a sixth grader."

"Three of them and you had the brilliant idea to act as a wall. "

"I'm not that defenseless."

"Don't give me that, you can't handle your own in a fight. These girls are immature and they'll want to get back at you for this."

"You're overreacting. They're just a bunch of bimbos who couldn't throw a punch even if they wanted to. What was I suppose to do?"

"Call a teacher maybe?" He snapped back sarcastically.

"Sorry my priority was to keep that little girl from getting messed up. Besides, I did call a teacher."

"After they turned you into a punching bag."

"That's not what happened. They just pushed me and I bumped my head against a locker. They ran away because they thought I was seriously injured. I told you, they can't fight anymore than clawless cats."

"You provoked them by calling them names. That was like throwing oil on fire, Petra. You call that a smart move?"

"Oh! my gosh, Tim! Can you please drop it? I didn't do anything wrong."

It was pretty rude of me to talk like this to the man who'd looked after me since my parents's death. When my mom and dad had died in a car crash along with my little brother, Timothy Kiler, my dad's best friend, took me in with his wife Amanda. They were an adorable couple with a seven year old son, called Alec and a eleven year old daughter called Myra. And they were the kindest people I knew.

"Petra, you're going to be eighteen soon. Be a little mature and admit that putting yourself in danger like that was stupid. And it's not the first time. I'm seriously reconsidering letting you attend high school."

I jumped up. "You can't take me out of school, Tim!"

"You know you don't need it."

"That's not true! You know exactly why I want to keep attending!"

"If you keep acting like this, I don't see any good reason to. Your dad would give you the exact same lecture."

I felt a pressure on my heart and let out a small gasp. For the thousandth time since then, I felt tears ready to escape my eyes. I looked out the window and took long deep breaths to try and contain them. 'It's been six months, damn it. Why am I still crying?' I must have been making a really nasty face.

"Petra, I'm sorry..." Started Tim, realizing.

"Don't be, I'm the one who started it. Can we just not talk about this please?"

Tim nodded and didn't say anything the rest of the way, while I still fought to keep the tears in. We arrived at their home. The house was right on the border of Sina and Maria. It wasn't that big, but still too big for only five people and it was circled by a protective wall and it required a passcode to enter. Tim was working for the city's security so the house had to be well guarded. His bosses had strongly suggested he gets bodyguards as well, but Tim had refused because he wanted his life to be as ordinary as possible for his children and now, for me. And despite his time-consuming job, he always found the time to be there for Alec and Myra. As for Amanda, she was a renowned Chef in France and could probably have been the best in the world if it hadn't been for her marrying. She was now a perfect housewife with her own recipe website. She could spent hours in the kitchen making new thing. These people were amazing parents. They just weren't mine. Tim opened the iron fence and the car entered the driveway. I opened the door, grabbed my school bag and walked up the stairs. I opened the front door with my keys and entered. I climbed the stairs quickly to the second floor, went to my room and sat at my desk to finish my homework. In less than thirty minutes, I was done. I kicked off my shoes and just lied down on my bed, staring at the ceiling. I'd been living here for six month, but my room was far from looking like that of a girl my age. No decorations, no posters, no frames. The walls were gray from the bottom to about halfway up the walls and the rest was white. The floor was made of clear wood. My curtains were rose red. My desk was white, with a thin glass vase with three white roses in it. Alec had given me those six month ago. He had retrieved it from each of my family's coffins before they were closed forever. And they still looked as if they'd just been cut. Was it even possible for roses to hold that long? I shook my head wanting to forget. I headed back downstairs to the kitchen. I sat at the table and stared at Amanda while she cooked.

"So," she started. "I heard somebody did something stupid today."

"I already got a lecture. Can we please not start again?"

"I wasn't going to. I'm just wondering if this is because you're tired. Are you sure you want to keep going to high school Petra? You know you don't have to right?"

This conversation would have seemed awkward to anyone else. Parents asking their kid to drop out of high school? Except, I really didn't need to go. The truth of it was, I got my high school diploma three years ago.

"Just because I'm already following college classes doesn't mean that I want to be apart from my friends. I don't want to be treated differently. I'll just be the one to get a job faster I guess. But I want a normal teenage life, Amanda. I don't want to be treated differently. "

Amanda sighed before smiling at me. "Alright. But you tell me if it gets too hard, alright."

"Promise."

"Why don't you go to the gym and shoot some arrows. Relax a bit."

"Yeah, good idea."

"If you come back alone, curfew's ten."

"OK."

I went back to my room and changed into my usual sports wear which consisted of skinny black joggings, and tank top. I put on forearm protectors and put on my jacket, before taking my bike out of the garage and heading towards Trost's gymnasium. You could basically do everything there. It took me fifteen minutes to get there. Once arrived, I parked my bike and signed in. After taking my bow and arrows from my locker, I went down to the undergrounds shooting targets. Archery wasn't something a lot of people did in the middle of the city but somehow the targets were almost all taken. I walked over to the farthest ones when something caught my eye. A tall brunette with almost tanned skin and freckles aimed at a target with care and released the arrow. It hit the target but far from the center.

"Crap." She cursed.

"You still shoot like a girl Ymir." I said as I placed myself next to her and prepared my arrows.

"You can talk. I'm still better than you at knife throwing." She replied sarcastically giving me a grin.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were suppose to work on Fridays."

"My boss sort of took the day off."

"You suck at lying. Amanda called you, right?"

"She just told me to save you a target."

"And to cheer me up I bet." I was actually happy that she cared for me like that. "Thanks for coming."

"Are you having another breakdown?" She said as she prepared another arrow.

"Straightforward as ever I see. I'm trying to fight it, but I still can't help crying."

"Tell me at least that you're not suicidal."

"Seriously?" I shot an arrow which hit the target right in the middle.

"Wanna talk about it?"

"I don't know. I think I'm being paranoid or something. I keep trying to find a reason why they died. I even went as far as thinking it was murder but that's ridiculous. Nope, just a plain old dumb car accident. I just need to get these thoughts off my mind. And then, there's Amanda and Tim trying to make me quit high school."

She chuckled. "Why are you surprised? You've been following college classes for the past three years, you're majoring in high tech working and you still attend high school. You're the one that's acting strange."

"You know I want to keep hanging out with you guys and be treated like a normal teen."

"And yet, miss genius, you hardly hang out with 'normal' people. You're best friends are a geek who thinks he's Sherlock Holmes, a princess with impossible dreams, and a horse-face dog trainer."

"When you say it like that, it really sounds like I'm surrounded by weirdos. And by the way, you forgot someone to the list. The ex-thug."

She rolled her eyes at me. When I met her, she was living on the streets and hung around with the worst kind of people. Her mom was a prostitute that'd tried to kill her at birth and her father had died of an overdose when she was four. Ymir had been alone all this time, but still managed to learn how to read and write. Actually, she was practically a genius in math. When I found out about her situation, Mom, Dad and I helped her get by. She also knew Amanda and Tim. Dad'd found her a job in a small convenience store. She slept in a tiny apartment just above it, and was good friends with the owner. It was in Maria but Ymir said she'd lived all her life in this place and it was the one she knew best. She didn't trust a lot of people aside from me.

"How about we have a little contest? Whoever hits the middle the most wins." She said.

"You know you're gonna loose right?"

We played our game (which I won). Then we went to the vending machine to get some cokes and finished chatting about useless stuff. The whole thing took us about two hours. I noticed Ymir was not as loud as usual and had bags under her eyes. It was strange because boy, did I know what a sleeper she was. But she kept trying to cheer me up anyways. Even though I was positive something was off.

"So apparently you thought it was a good idea to present yourself as a punching bag today. "

"She told you that too? What a rat."

"She's acts more like a friend than a surrogate mother. Anyways, that was pretty dumb of you."

"I already got the lecture. Don't start. And it wasn't a fight."

"I'm just saying, next time call me. It's been a while since I had a good fight."

"Old habits die hard, huh?" I looked at the fence where people usually parked their bikes and didn't see mine. "No way."

My security chain was on the ground with a busted lock.

"Great. Somebody stole my bike."

"Oh well. Can't do anything about it now." She replied as laid-back as usual, while tossing her can in a nearby trash.

"But I really liked that one! I got it for my birthday."

"Hey, Amanda said it was okay for you to stay out later if you're with someone, right? Wanna hit the roofs?"

Free running. That was Ymir's favorite sport. Jumping from roof to roof and climbing walls as fast as we could. When I first met her, I'd chased after her this way after she'd stolen my wallet. I didn't catch her but she was impressed by my performance and gave it back to me. Back then, she was a junky and stole money to get by and buy her drugs. That was two years ago. And now she was a dear friend to me.

"What? Are you afraid you'll meet that creep from two years ago?" She said.

"That's not funny! I still have nightmares about that night. It's just that I haven't practiced in six month. I could die you know."

"I'll pick easy obstacles, I promise. Come on, I've been missing my favorite partner." She punched me lightly on the shoulder.

"Okay."

Ten minutes later, we were free running. Surprisingly, I hadn't lost any of my skills. I was exhausted quickly, but the adrenaline flowing through me was keeping me going none the less. It's a dangerous but thrilling sport. It was definitely what I needed to get things off my mind. We raced each other, not really paying attention to where we were going. We ran and ran and ran until I finally stopped and fell to my knees completely out of breath.

"Whoa! That...felt...great!" I said.

"Good. Hope you had your fill because, it's eleven thirty."

"WHAT?" I quickly checked my phone. I had one message from Amanda.

 _ **I know you're with Ymir, but try to be home before midnight and if you're gonna be late, CALL!**_

"Hey Ymir. Where are we right now?"

"Let's see, she walked to the edge of the roof we were on and took a look. "Oh crap."

"What is it?"

"I can see the old docks."

"We're in Maria?! Ymir, I thought you knew were you were going!"

"Sorry, I didn't realize I took us this far. At any rate, let's get out quickly before we run into a gang or worse. This could be ugly, especially on friday nights."

"You don't have to tell me twice."

We got down from the roof by an emergency staircase and quickly ran towards the docks. Crossing them was the quickest way to reach Rose. The docks had actually been out of use for years. There were just a couple warehouses and a zone of piled up containers. Which was also the best place for gangs (or worse) to come together.

'I've got a bad feeling about this.' I thought before following Ymir.

* * *

 **Uh-oh! Could it be that our girls are gonna run into some trouble? ;) Keep following and you'll see! Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! Here's chapter three were things are starting to move! Hope you're prepared! Enjoy and pls review!**

* * *

We got down from the roof by an emergency staircase and quickly ran towards the docks. Crossing them was the quickest way to reach Rose. The docks had actually been out of use for years. There were just a couple warehouses and a zone of piled up containers. Which was also the best place for gangs (or worse) to come together.

'I've got a bad feeling about this.' I thought before following Ymir.

My heart was pounding so hard that I was scared someone would hear it. Very carefully, we moved through the streets, stopping at every end to check if it was safe to move on to the next one. Ymir was all alert, which was rare. That put me on edge more than necessary. We made to the docks without meeting anyone. We could see some bonfire lights reflecting on the ground behind the first warehouse.

"Okay." Said Ymir. "Usually they're inside the warehouses or if they make bonfire, outside facing the sea to the West. So we should be fine if we stay on the other side and head straight for the C-zone. Follow me and don't make a sound."

I nodded and followed her lead. We moved quietly towards the warehouse and then along the wall towards the East side. At some point Ymir muttered.

"This is weird. Usually they're a lot more noisy than this."

She quickly checked the area. It was very dark but there didn't seem to be anyone. She started running and I followed her...until I tripped on something. Ymir turned back and helped me up.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. I just tripped on something big..."

I took a small step forward and a splash sound followed. I'd stepped into a puddle of thick dark liquid. I turned around to look at what I'd tripped on. I froze up when I recognized the shape of a human body. And the puddle I'd just stepped in was probably blood. I really wanted to scream but nothing came out. Ymir was just as stunned as I was.

"What...the hell is going on here?" She muttered staring at the ground.

According to her, death comes by almost every night in Maria. But this time it wasn't just one body. I looked around. At least ten more bloody corpses were scattered around the area that separated the warehouses from the container zone. I started trembling. All we could do was stare and try and keep ourselves from panicking. I have no clue how long we remained like that, before Ymir finally reacted.

"Let's go Petra. Whoever did this may still be around."

We ran towards the container zone and entered one of the lanes. Both of us were running like crazy, like the devil himself was on out trail. I even looked back to check no one was there. Then I bumped into Ymir who'd suddenly stopped.

"Well, well. Look who it is. What's up Ymir?"

A bunch of young men were blocking the way. Ymir was acquainted with all the big gangs in Maria and it looked like these guys were part of them. My friend faced the one who had talked completely and stared at him straight in the eyes.

"You guys have gotten a lot more violent, Cobra. I didn't know you'd changed your career from dealer to murderer."

"What are you talking about?"

"The massacre on the docks. It wasn't you? Then I don't want to find out. Move aside."

"Hold on, Ymir. We're not done with you."

"Too bad, cause I'm done with you." She snapped back.

"You owe us some cash, girl."

"Bullshit. Last time I bought from you was two years ago. And I paid you."

"What proof do you have?" He said smirking. "If you don't have any, then I suggest you start paying before something bad happens."

Ymir turned towards me. "I don't suppose you got a hundred bucks on you?" I shook my head. "Run."

We turned around and ran back in the direction we'd just come from. I tried to ignore the bodies while passing behind the warehouses and followed Ymir right back to where we started. The gang members were following us but the sight of the bodies had the same effect on them and we gained a couple seconds. But they were still hot on our trail. Without stopping Ymir shouted.

"We're gonna split up! They'll come after me. You find a good place to hide and wait for me to come get you."

"No way! I'm not leaving you alone with these guys chasing you!"

"I know this place like the back of my hand stupid, I can loose them anytime I want. But you'll get in the way, so do what I say."

I really didn't like that plan, but she had a valid point. This was her territory. "Okay fine! But I'll kill you if you get hurt!"

"Now!"

We'd reached the streets and both took off in opposite directions. I had no freaking idea where I was going, but I just kept running until I was, for the second time this evening, completely out of breath. I hid behind a big trashcan in a dark alley with no outlet. I paused a second to regain my breath. Truthfully, the fact that I'd just been chased by dangerous thugs didn't bother me as much as those bodies on the docks. They weren't just killed, they were bloodily murdered. The sight of the blood still sticking to my shoe sent a shiver down my spine. 'This is getting way to scary. I better call the cops.' I put my hand in my pocket to grab my phone but found nothing. 'Okay, now I have plenty of reasons to panic.' I looked around me. It was dark and nothing was moving. It reminded me of these moments in horror movies when you just know something bad's going to come out of nowhere. I brought my legs closer to my torso and hugged them, just hoping someone would find me soon. I closed my eyes and rested my head on my knees. Then, in the silence of the night...

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGHHHH!"

I nearly jumped out of my skin and sprang up to my feet. I had no idea where that scream had come from, but it was close. I'd never heard any man or animal make this sound. I had to move. I stayed close to the wall and peeked to see if anything else was on the left side of the street but saw nothing. I turned my head to see the other side...except a black figure was blocking my view, standing less than a foot away from me. Before I could even realize it was a person, a hand brutally covered my mouth and pushed me back against the wall. The person was a man all dressed in black. It was so dark I couldn't even see his face. But his eyes were visible like those of a cat in the dark. All I could say about him, is that he was definitely strong. With a deep threatening voice, the man spoke.

"Make one sound and I'll kill you."

The coldness in his words struck me and I completely froze. My fear was now three times as strong as before. I unconsciously stopped breathing to keep the air coming out of my nose quiet while my heartbeat was pounding like crazy. Whoever this guy was, the pressure he put on me didn't seem to be natural. He quickly glanced to the side, as if he'd heard something and got even closer, pushing deeper in the wall with his body. It was very uncomfortable, but I didn't seem to be the center of his attention. That didn't keep me from trembling. I looked in the same direction as him. I could now hear some people walking and getting closer. Soon, two figures came into our line of sight. Both were wearing long coats. They almost passed us when I something started to tickle in my nose.

"Atchoo!"

It wasn't loud, but enough for both of them to turn around. Their eyes were the same as the man holding me. Before I could blink, this guy took a gun out of nowhere and fired two bullets. The two other figures fell to the ground. Just when I thought my heart couldn't handle anymore shocks, I was proven wrong. The man turned to me. I looked at him in the eyes, trembling more than ever.

"You wanna live?" He asked. "Answer, now."

I quickly nodded. "Then come."

He took his hand away from my mouth and grabbed my wrist. He started running at an impressive speed, dragging me behind him. He stopped in a nearby street and opened a sewer manhole. The second it was open, a foul smell emerged from it.

"Get down there."

I really didn't have much choice and went down the metal latter. Once down, the man jumped in after me and landed without a scratch. He grabbed my hand again and started walking really fast. I thought it was dark outside, well this was worse. I literally couldn't see anything. All I could do was letting him drag me. He didn't even have a torchlight and walked like light was the least of his problems. I could hear the gun clic in his hand from time to time. Being completely ignorant of the situation you're in and having to rely on a complete stranger WITH A GUN really didn't reduce my current stress level. But aside from the dirty water running next to us, I couldn't hear anything. I decided to risk a question.

"Excuse me, but... can you tell me what's going on?" My voice was trembling so much I didn't even recognize it.

"If they find us, they won't let you live. That's all you need to know."

What was this? A crazy real life survival game? In any case, this guy wasn't joking. Good or bad guy, he was trying to keep me from dying. He was making turns from time to time. I thought it was probably at random to loose whoever was after us. But after a few minutes, he stopped. He let go off my hand and I felt him lean against the wall. His breathing was quick and heavy.

"A-are you alright?" I asked.

"I'm fine." He snapped back. "Mind your own..."

I heard him get back on his feet. His eyes were looking back at where we'd just come from. I couldn't see or hear anything for a couple seconds, until some sort of screech reached my ears.

"Crap." He cursed.

He once more snatched my wrist and dashed in the opposite direction pulling me behind him. While we ran I heard fast footsteps behind us. My mystery man fired a couple shots in their direction without stopping. Then he tossed something on the ground and made another turn. Three seconds later an explosion followed. 'This guy has a gun and bombs? What the hell is going on?' I bumped into him after he suddenly stopped. I heard him recharge his gun before he said.

"Come on. We're climbing."

He started climbing on what I assumed was a latter going back to the surface. I grabbed it and climbed after him as fast as I could, praying that we'd get back up there quickly. I finally saw some light when the guy pushed open the sewer door. He climbed out and offered a hand. I took it, but the second he started pulling me up, something grabbed my ankle and started pulling me down. I lost my footing and let out a loud gasp. Lucky for me, the man didn't let go. I tried to kick with my free leg but all I did was hit the air. That's when I felt something stab me in the calf and slide down my leg. The pain was so intense that I couldn't hold back a scream. I closed my eyes tightly.

POW!

Another shot was fired and whoever was holding me let go. The man pulled me out of the sewers. I breathed heavily trying to swallow the fact that I was still alive. I was still on my knees and sweat drops were dripping from my face on the ground. He was practically laying on his back, holding his upper body up with his elbows. He also looked like he had trouble breathing but he was staring at the sewers without blinking as if he expected others to come out. After a few moment, he painfully stood up, holding his side. I looked at him.

"Are you hurt?"

"We can't stay here. Get up."

I did and got closer. He was obviously having trouble standing. He gave me a death glare when got a bit too close.

"What?" He said before stumbling a little.

I caught him before he fell completely and placed his arm around my neck and helped him stand.

"You're definitely not okay." I said. "Let me help."

He didn't reply, and let me help him walk. It was like he was unconscious but still somehow supporting his own weight a little. Fortunately for me because he wasn't light. We walked slowly to the end of the street and then I took a look around. 'Wait. This is Ymir's street!' Looked like luck was back on our side at just the right moment. We moved slowly and with difficulty towards the convenience store where she worked and climbed up the outdoor stairs that led to Ymir's two room apartment above it. It was even harder with my left leg killing me every time I stepped on it. Ymir always left her keys hidden in the broken lamp above her front door. I opened the door and both of us crashed on the floor. He was now completely unconscious and was making painful expressions. I completely pulled him in and closed the door. I somehow managed to place him on Ymir's old couch. I turned the lights on and got a close look at his face. He was...gorgeous. He also felt strangely familiar. But I didn't have time to think about that. I took his jacket off and his holster and gun off his leg. I put them aside wondering why he was completely dressed in black. I touched his forehead with mine.

"He's a little hot but there's no fever."

After a moment of hesitation I pulled up his shirt and looked at the side he was holding. There was a nasty, days-old scar under the left ribs. It looked like it had been reopened. I pressed my handkerchief on it to stop the heavy bleeding. I watched my dad work long enough to recognize when a wound needs stitching. And, another lucky thing for me, Ymir still had her mom's old surgery tools. Before she got fired for selling the hospital drugs, she was a nurse. Out of rage she'd stolen a bunch of things before leaving. I took the kit out of a drawer and started disinfecting the wound. I found a bottle of anesthetic liquid and gave him a shot near the wound. Then I took a deep breath. I'd seen my dad do this thousands of times before he passed away and I knew the procedure by heart but I'd never done it myself. At least not on an actual living being. I took a moment to calm myself down and make sure my hands weren't trembling too much. When the ten minutes required for the anesthetics to have affect passed, I started stitching. As slowly and precisely as I could. I think I forgot to breath a couple times. But he didn't flinch once. Once I cut off the extra string, I let myself fall on the floor and stared at the ceiling wiping the sweat off my face.

"What the hell... kind of a night out was that?" Were the last words I whispered before closing my eyes and letting sleep take over, wishing that all that'd happen was just a nightmare.

* * *

When I woke up, the sun was already up. I sat up and stretched. My eyes fell on the entrance and I saw Ymir, on the floor facing the ground and immobile. I quickly got closer and shook her.

"Ymir! Ymir, can you hear me?"

She slowly moved while groaning. She sat up and rubbed the back of her head.

"Ow, that son of a bitch has a good punch."

"Are you alright? What happened?"

"That's what I'd like to know. It took me a good hour to get rid of these losers. Then I look for you around the docks but instead of you, I finnd two more bodies. I decide to go home and call your cell and the moment I step in, I see you with a bloody leg on the floor and before I can say 'crap', some asshole hits me behind the head and knocks me out. Care to explain?"

I looked at the couch. The man in black was gone. I had indeed left a small trail of blood on the ground. I was so busy taking care of that guy that I'd forgotten about my own injury. I lifted my pants and uncovered my leg. It was a weird wound. It was like two thin blades had stabbed me at the same time. The two parallel scars went from mid-calf to just above my ankle. While washing and bandaging it, I explained to Ymir what had happened after we'd separated.

"Holy shit! He's the one that killed those dudes? Man, this guy is bad news. You're darn lucky to be alive."

"Actually, I think he saved my life."

"Well, at least you're not hurt too badly. You should call the Kiles. They're probably sick with worry." She tossed me her cellphone.

"Ymir. We can't tell anyone about last night, okay?"

"You're right. It's better not to start a fuzz. The cops'll be warned soon enough. But what are you gonna tell Amanda?"

"I'll tell her about the free running and loosing my cellphone. I'll get yelled at but I deserve that."

* * *

"Whoever stitched you up did a pretty good job, Levi." Said the woman after examining him.

The short man didn't reply and just put on back his shirt. One of the things he hated the most was getting checked out like tat, like he was some lab rat. He glanced at the third person in the room. The tall blond man leaning against the wall, was frowning. He was going over the report of his subordinate.

"So you're saying the girl didn't see them? Not at all?"

"She was practically blind in the sewers. She didn't see them."

"But she saw your face. Come on, Levi. What are the chances that she didn't see your eyes? It's close to 0%." Said the woman.

"Ever heard of contacts? She's just a brat, she'll find a plausible explanation. These bastards got me good though."

"It's your fault. I told you, you're not suppose to move too much for three days. But you couldn't even stay still twenty-four hours. New record of stubbornness goes to Levi." She giggled.

"I had a job to do, four-eyes."

"Which almost costed you your life." She said more serious this time. "You went missing for a week, Levi. Next time I tell you to wait, just wait. You're a lot more efficient when you're healthy."

"Anyways, if it's only the eyes she saw, we should be safe." Said the blond man.

"I'm not so sure about that Erwin." She looked at the results of the analysis on her computer and turned back to the two men. "Levi."

"What, four-eyes?"

"The blood that was on your shoes...it's not yours. She got wounded."

Levi jumped off the examination table and put his jacket back on. He grabbed his gun and checked if it was loaded. It looked like he wasn't done for the day.

"Hold on you're not going now, are you?"

"We can't afford to waist time."

"She's right Levi. You need to rest, so wait until nightfall."

"Tch."

* * *

 **Hope you guys liked it! Chapter 4 coming up soon! Pls review! ;)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! Here's the latest chapter! Hope you'll enjoy it! Please review ;)**

* * *

"Petra, look at me when I'm talking to you!" Said Tim.

I was now sitting on the couch of the Kiler's living room along with Ymir. She'd insisted for receiving the same lecture as me.

"I'm really sorry Tim. I didn't plan on making you guys worry. We just wanted to free run a little. It didn't turn out like we thought."

"And since when have you been doing that kind of thing? It's dangerous Petra!"

"I've been doing it ever since I met Ymir. And we didn't pick dangerous trails."

"You should have called." Said Amanda.

"I lost track of time and I didn't want to tell you guys we were in Maria. Then I lost my cellphone..."

"It was already pretty late." Said Ymir, cutting me off. "It's dangerous to walk around Maria at this hour so I thought it was better if she stayed at my place for the night. It's my fault, I forced her to go with me."

"You're both equally at fault here." Continued Tim. "Honestly Petra, this is getting out of hand. Do you enjoy getting in trouble?"

"I'm sorry Tim, I don't know what else to tell you. We didn't plan for this to happen."

"Don't think you'll get off so easily."

"Hold on, please Mr Kile!" Said Ymir suddenly standing. "You're not gonna take her out of school are you? It really was my fault."

"I won't do that. But Petra you're grounded for the rest of the weekend. No stepping out of your room. Are we clear?" He snapped at me.

I lowered my head and nodded. Honestly, I was expecting much worse.

"And no more free running. Ever!" He added.

"That goes for you too Ymir." Said Amanda. "We can't tell you what to do, but this is seriously crossing the line."

"I'm really sorry, ma'am."

"It's alright if you understand. You can go home now."

"See ya later, Petra. I'll look around to see if I can find your cell."

"Yeah. Bye."

I went up the stairs to got to my room when I realized my head was spinning and almost fell. 'What the heck? Do I have a fever or something? Oh well, I wouldn't be surprised if I'd caught a cold from last night. It's better than a heart-attack anyways.' But my head felt really heavy so I went to my room, closed the curtain and let myself fall on my bed. In the end being grounded wasn't necessary. I closed my eyes and tried to sleep. Then I heard someone knock on the door.

"Come in."

Myra's entered the room and threw herself on my bed. "Hey sis. Are you okay?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Well, mom and dad grounded you didn't they? Did you have a fight at school?"

"It's saturday Myra. I don't have school. But I don't feel to good. Could you let me sleep?"

"But Krista called yesterday. She was worried about you so she called again." She handed over the phone.

"Thanks, Mimi. Hello?"

"Finally, Petra! I've been trying to reach you for the past twelve hours."

"Sorry. I lost my phone and..."

"I know, Amanda told me. I also talked with Ymir a few minutes ago."

"Did she tell you everything."

"You bet." The voice that replied was masculine. "It was pretty dumb of you guys to go free run at this hour. How do you feel? You must have been freaking out all by yourself in Maria."

"Jean is that you?"

"Yeah, Marco's with us too. Anyways answer the question, Petra." He continued.

"I'm okay. I think I might have caught a little fever but nothing more."

Marco's voice then said. "Can you tell me about what happened? What did the guys who chased you look like? Did they have any noticeable signs like tattoos? And what about the guy you were with?"

'Damn you Ymir. Why the hell did you tell them every little thing?' "Marco, my head's pounding like a drum and I don't feel like brainstorming. All I can tell you is that it was pitch black and aside from glowing contact lenses, I couldn't see anything. And no the guy I was with didn't have a tattoo or any other noticeable signs."

"Glowing lenses?"

"Yeah, I could see their eyes in the dark."

"I see. Do you think it was the same guy that you met two years ago?"

"I don't know Marco. It was dark that night too. I didn't get a good look at his face. Even if it was, I wouldn't be able to tell. So please don't start with the stalker theory."

"Alright. If you remember anything..."

"Yeah, yeah. I'll tell you, Sherlock." I chuckled.

That nickname really was appropriate. Marco loved mysteries and had a knack for getting himself in trouble while 'investigating'. Although most of the time, whatever 'plots' he found were true. His IQ was over 190. He had a highly logical mind and a keen eye for details. You couldn't really keep a secret from him. But he was also a very nice guy, always smiling and cheering up everyone.

"Anyway, get to bed, have some hot soup and you'll be back on your feet by tomorrow!"

"What are you my mom?" I replied laughing. "I'm grounded remember? I'd rather stay sick tomorrow instead of boring myself to death in my room the whole day."

"Leave her alone you guys!" I heard Krista's voice scold. "And give me back my phone. Petra? Do you want us to come see you?"

"It's better if you don't catch my cold. And honestly I don't know if Amanda will let you."

"I'll say I'm bringing something for class."

"That works on average high schooler parents."

"I guess you're right. I'll try to come tomorrow. Rest up, okay?"

"I don't have anything else to do. Later guys. And about yesterday..."

"We know. Top secret."

"Thanks. Bye bye."

I pressed the OFF button and gave it back to Myra who had been sitting next to my bed, going through one of my books. She took it and looked at me.

"What happened yesterday sis? I know you're lying to mom and dad."

"Nothing worth talking about."

"Did you do something worse than what you told them?"

"No." I grabbed my pillow and hit her on the head. "And stop trying to pry in my business, you squirt!"

She laughed . "I'm not a squirt. I won't tell them if you let me borrow your nail polish..."

"You brat. You can have them all. I never wear any."

She stood up and looked at me very seriously. "Pleasure doing business with you, Miss Ral."

I smiled. "Get out of here, brat."

She ran out of the room laughing before I could throw her another pillow. Then I crashed down on my bed again. The pounding in my head was even stronger now. 'I should probably try to sleep it off.' That's what I tried to do... for four consecutive hours. As the hours passed, my head was heavier and heavier. I took a shower to clean the sweat off me but the second I was dry, I started sweating again. I wore my shortest, pajama shorts and the thinest shirt I had but that didn't help much. And I kept drinking. I'd take about a gallon of water every two hours. I was panting as if I'd just finish running a marathon. Around 5:00pm, Amanda came to my room.

"Petra, are you hungry? You haven't eaten since... heavens!" She jumped when she saw me. "Are you alright, sweetheart?"

"Do I really look that bad?" My voice was a stranger to me.

"Not just look, you sound bad too!" She sat on the bed next to me and pressed her forehead against mine. "That's weird, you're almost cold."

"Then why do I feel so hot?" I complained wiping the sweat off my forehead for the gazillionth time.

"How do you feel?"

"My head feels like it weights a ton. And I'm super tired but I can't fall asleep."

"I'll give you a pain killer. It'll help you sleep. If you don't feel any better tomorrow, I'll call a doctor. Sounds good?"

"Yeah, thank you. Can you bring me some water too?"

"How much?"

"A gallon. You won't have to bring me a glass every two minutes."

"All right." She smiled. "Wait here a bit."

She brought me two pain killers that I swallowed. She also brought me a small towel to place on my forehead and stayed with me a while. It took three hours for the pain killers to have some effect. At that point, my head was a bit lighter but I sweated just as much. And I still couldn't fall asleep. The feeling of extreme exhaustion went away at about ten thirty.

"You should go to sleep Amanda. I don't want you to catch whatever I've got."

"All right. But call me if you need anything okay? I'll tell you what. In my opinion, you've got a big enough punishment with your cold. If you feel better tomorrow, you can go out."

"Thanks Amanda. You think Tim will agree, though?"

"Probably not, but I'll work it out."

My door creaked open. Alec's head peaked in.

"Alec, you should be asleep by now." Scolded Amanda while frowning.

The seven-year old entered and walked over to my bed. He was holding his teddy bear in his arm and looked half asleep and like he was extremely sad.

"Are you gonna leave us Petra?"

"What?"

"Like Toby? You're as white as him when we last saw him."

I flinched at the mention of my dead little brother. He missed Toby who'd always looked after him before he died. And I guess he got sort of scared about the 'being pale' part of being dead.

"I'm not dying Alec, I'm just sick. I'll be back on my feet by Monday." I said smiling at him (which took a lot of effort in my current state).

He smiled back. "That's good. Mom, can I have some milk?"

Amanda sighed. "All right, but then straight to bed Alec. Good night Petra. If you need anything, wake me up."

Amanda stood up, grabbed her sons hand and started walking out of the room.

"Goodnight Petra." Said Alec, before closing the door.

I closed my eyes once more hoping sleep would finally come. But somehow I wasn't tired anymore, just very dizzy and kind of nauseous. Another two hours went by, during which I rolled around on my bed trying to find a comfortable position. Nothing was working. And I kept drinking and drinking. Until I got tired of it.

"Damn it! I'm freakin' hot!"

I got up and opened my window wide, letting in the cold air of late fall. It helped cool me down a little but I was still sweating. 'What's happening to me? I've never felt this sick before.' I saw that that I didn't have anymore water and went to the bathroom to fill up the gallon again. I looked in the mirror for a second.

"Looks like you aren't completely wrong, Alec. I look like a ghost."

I came back to my room very slowly (walking straight had also become an issue) and shut the door behind me. I was about to go to bed and try to sleep (again), when I noticed that I'd forgotten to close the window. It took an unbelievable effort to get myself to get up again and walk over there. I was about to close it but I noticed something. Part of the external edge was wet. And it had the shape of a footprint.

"What the..."

Something suddenly grabbed me by behind around the neck and pulled me back. Before I could even gasp, a handkerchief was brutally pressed over my mouth and nose. And I barely had the chance to struggle. The second I inhaled, a strong dizziness came over me and I felt my strength abandoning me. I'll I was able to catch, was that whoever was holding me was wearing black gloves.

* * *

The woman was still looking through her computer, looking over her last analysis. Although she didn't need to. She kept tapping her feet on the ground. Erwin was sitting next to her, reading the daily reports.

"Hanji, could you please stop that? I'm trying to focus."

"How can you be so calm? Levi left over an hour ago. If he doesn't hurry..."

"Calm down, we don't even know if she's been infected."

"I know, I know."

That's when the metallic door was kicked open. Levi entered the room, carrying a not so conscious ginger-head girl wearing pajamas in his arms. The girl's eyes were wide open, but had turned white. She was breathing like she was having an asthma attack. Her hands were gripping the short man's coat and her body was visibly trembling. Hanji jumped out of her chair.

"Oh my god! Quick, put her down!"

She turned the medical table lights on as Levi put down the unconscious girl on it.

"The chloroform didn't even last ten minutes." he said.

"What? She's conscious?!" Said Hanji.

"I have no fucking clue." He replied irritated.

She turned to the agitated girl, who looked terrified. "Hey. Can you hear me? Do you know what your name is?"

"Wat...wat...er... water...thirsty..."

"That's all she's been saying for the past hour four eyes. She's reached the last stage. Now get that shit out of her system or she'll be dead before morning."

"If I give her anesthetics at this point, she won't make it."

"Then just do it like that, damn it!"

"Right."

Hanji took a scalpel and forceps from the tool holder and put on a surgical mask and gloves. "Give her something to bite. She might bite her tongue and bleed to death."

Levi took off the leather strap that wrapped his arm over his coat's sleeve. He put it in the girl's mouth and tight it behind her head.

"Where was she bitten?"

"Left calf."

"Okay, flip her on her stomach and hold her down. Erwin, I need you to keep that leg down for me."

The men did as they were told.

"That's one nasty wound. The bastard didn't hold back. And it had to be the calf..."

She readjusted her glasses before taking a deep breath and begin the procedure. The second she pierced the skin with the scalpel, the girl's entire body tensed up. She opened her mouth to scream but nothing came out. All that could be heard we're suffocating breaths. Levi was much stronger than her so he had no trouble keeping her down, but she still kept struggling.

"Damn it!" Muttered Hanji. "That little pest won't detach itself from her veins."

"Hurry it up four-eyes! I don't think she can take much more of this."

"I need to find the core. Give me a sec, damn it!" Said Hanji without blinking, staying focused on the wound. "Got it! Now I got to remove the branches..."

Ten more long minutes went by, before Hanji finally took the forceps and brutally pulled the 'spider' out of the girl's leg. "Got it! Levi, quick! Take the strap out of her mouth!"

The short man did as he was told and the second he did, she vomited a flow of water and coughed violently. She then relaxed and her breathing gradually slowed down. Sweat, drool and tears were dripping from her face. It was a pitiful sight. She blinked a few times and her eyes seemed to take a natural color again. She looked around, looking confused and then her eyes fell on the three people staring at her.

She muttered. "Who...are you?" Before closing her eyes again and fainting.

The three people stood there staring at her for a minute before Levi finally spoke.

"Shit."

"She didn't see anything." Said Erwin. "And seeing the state she's in, she'll probably think it's a dream. Stitch her up quickly and then take her home."

"We can't. She was on the last stage, I need to monitor her condition for the next six hours and make sure it hasn't spread." Said Hanji. "Besides I need to know if she's had blood contact with anyone else."

"Then make sure she remains asleep..."

"It's already too late, Erwin." Interrupted Levi. "She's seen too much and been through too much to not ask questions."

"So you're suggesting..."

"We don't have a choice. We can't risk having someone know the slightest thing about us."

Erwin stared at his short companion. His glare was deadly and determined. They all knew how crucial it was to keep their existence a secret. But this was the first time someone's ever gotten so close to them. They hated it, but maybe silencing the girl was necessary. Erwin sighed.

"Let Hanji do her monitoring. We'll decide after that what needs to be done."

"Fine." Said the man walking out of the room.

* * *

Beep. Beep. Beep.

I moved my hand around to find my alarm clock and break it for waking me up on a Sunday morning. But I couldn't. I slowly opened my eyes. There was a turned off giant lamp over me. I looked around. The room had no windows and the walls were all gray. Against the wall, there was a table with a four screen computer and data. Wires were coming out of it and they were linked to my chest and temples. I also had a needle inserted in my wrist and a breathing mask over my mouth and nose. The door was made of metal. I looked at myself and saw that I was wearing just a black sports bra and thick black leggings. While taking off all the creepy things that connected me to the computers, I tried to remember what happened. But all I could remember was someone knocking me out in my room. When I moved my leg, I felt a sharp pain. I pulled up my pants and looked at my calf. Exactly in between the two knife scars I got that the night before, another one had been opened and stitched up. But I also noticed that I felt much better than yesterday.

"Where the hell am I? That really doesn't look like a hospital room."

I got up and moved towards the door. It was opened. On the other side was a dark hallway that also didn't have any windows. I came across multiple doors. But all of them required pass codes to be opened.

"This is crazy! Looks like some underground military base from old movies."

I wandered through a bunch of hallways not meeting anyone. I wondered if that was a bad thing. I kept walking until I reached a double door. On the other side it was quite noisy. I pushed the door open just slightly to see what was inside. The room was big and filled with what looked like gym equipments. On one side, I saw two people sparing on a training mat. Both of them were completely dressed in black too. I was stunned by their fighting style. Unlike Krista, who had been taught martial arts ever since she was a kid, I didn't know much about it. But this would impress anyone. It was some sort of acrobatic fight. The two seemed to be able to jump pretty high and their reaction time was unbelievably quick. The first one was a girl. A brunette with a ponytail. She seemed to be enjoying herself. The other one was an almost bald shorter guy. He dodged anything she threw at him. The fight seemed pretty violent from where I was standing, but the two were laughing and seemed to have fun. They were chatting while sparing.

"Man I can't believe we got stuck to do extra training again." Complained the girl.

"The boss seemed pissed. But I guess we deserved that. Blowing up that building may not have been necessary." Replied the other one.

"Still, It's a pity some of them got away."

"Don't sweat it. We'll find them. In any case, your moves are still as sloppy as ever."

"Hey, I've already landed three hits on you. It's not bad."

"Too bad! Cause the next point is mine. Did you know we're having french for dinner?"

"What?"

The boy kicked her leg and made her fall face down on the ground. Then he twisted her arms in her back.

"Aha! Told you."

"You cheated by distracting me! That's not fair."

He got off and helped her up. "Well if you weren't thinking about food all the time, you might actually win."

Instead of replying the girl leaned towards and hissed at him, like an angry cat. And that's when I saw them. Two white fangs, twice as long as normal teeth. At the sight of that my mouth dropped open and my eyes widened. My heart skipped a beat and I backed up away from the door really quickly... but bumped into something. Or rather someone.

* * *

 **Mysterious, right? Want answers? Keep reading! ;)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys! So here's the latest chapter! Hope you like it! And pls review!**

* * *

"Woo there! Careful." Said a gentle voice.

I turned my head. The guy I'd bumped into was a blonde young man that looked about my age. He smiled at me and I completely turned around. Four others were with him. A short girl with ginger hair and freckles, a tall guy with dark skin and another girl with black hair held in two pigtails on each side of her head. And they too, where dressed entirely in black with the same clothes. It was like they had a uniform or something. Black pants, black shirts, black jackets and black boots. They also seemed to have leather straps around their legs and arms. I was a bit panicked but they didn't seem aggressive. The blonde guy smiled and asked.

"Are you new? I've never seen you around..."

"Huh?"

"Oh yeah." Exclaimed the girl with black hair. "That must be why Hanji and the others were making such a racket yesterday. I didn't think we'd have a new one so soon. Hell, I didn't think we'd get one at all! You are new here, aren't you?"

I decided to play along. "Well, yeah I guess. I sort of just woke up here..."

"And that's all they gave you to wear? They didn't even bother to give you shoes! Completely inconsiderate. Here take this." Said the blonde boy.

He took off his jacket and handed it over to me. I thanked him and put it on. He then pushed the door of the gym open.

"Come on in. We'll introduce you. Don't be so nervous, no one's gonna bite."

I wasn't too exited about the idea of getting closer to the girl with fangs coming out of her mouth. But I had a feeling I couldn't ask them anything about where I was. Besides they didn't seem to know how I was brought here.

"Sasha! Connie!" Called out the blonde guy. "Come meet the newbie!"

The two I'd seen earlier came closer.

"Your jokes still suck Thomas!" Said the bald boy, probably Connie.

He turned around and froze when he saw me. He got closer and took a good look at me. "Well shit man, I really thought you were kidding."

"I'm not." He turned to me again. "This is Connie and the brunette is Sasha. They're some of the best hunters in the group. I'm Thomas and the other three with me are Franz, Hannah and Mina. Guys, this is... sorry, I forgot to ask for your name."

"I'm Petra." I'm wasn't sure I should have told them.

"That's weird." Continued Connie. "I didn't think the captain would let us find out on out own that we have a newbie. Plus I didn't even think we'd ever find another one you know. When were you brought in?"

"Last night I guess." I didn't know exactly how long I'd been unconscious. "So where exactly is this place?"

They all looked at me with wide eyes. 'Shit, maybe I shouldn't have asked.' A few second went by before Connie replied.

"They didn't even tell you that? Are you sure you're not an airhead and just forgot?"

"Connie, that's rude! Leave her alone." Scolded Sasha.

"No, honestly. Don't you think it's weird? The bosses bringing in a newbie and not telling her about anything?"

"Yeah, now that you mention it..." Said the girl named Hannah. "You said you woke up here. In what room where you?"

I sigh. They were going to find out the truth eventually, not that I knew half of it. And I needed answer about … everything. But when I opened my mouth to talk, nothing came out. As if my unconscious-self was paralyzing my vocal cords. Connie's eyes widened and he suddenly came really close to me. His nose touched my neck and he inhaled deeply. Completely creeped out I pushed him away and backed off a couple steps.

"Back off, you creep!"

He didn't respond but looked at me, completely bewildered. Before speaking to Sasha without taking his eyes off me.

"Go get the captain."

"Why, what's wrong?" Replied the brunette confused.

"Just go!"

"Okay. Be right back!"

She ran out of the room and all of their eyes were turned to me.

"You were in the surgery room weren't you?" Asked Thomas.

"Do you know why I was brought here?" I asked hoping to finally get an answer.

"Sorry, I can't tell you. We're not the ones calling the shots for this."

"So what I'm your prisoner or something?" I was getting pissed and seriously freaked out. Not a good combination. "Forget it, I'm leaving." I started walking towards the door.

"Don't be stupid." Said Connie. "You'll never find the way out of the base. And we'd catch you before you could say, 'freedom'."

I turned around and gave him a death glare. Were they planning to kill me or something? But that didn't make any sense. The bald boy rubbed the back of his head.

"Look, you want answers and the only ones who can give them to you are on their way. So why don't you just sit tight till they come?"

"It's not like I can relax with a bunch of strangers around. Shoot! What time is it?"

Mina looked at her watch. "5:38 am. Why?"

"Why? I have a family waiting for me and if they wake up and find out that I've been abducted, they're gonna freak out." I snapped. "To hell with this, I'm leaving."

Before I could even touch the handle, the door practically flew open in my face. I quickly backed off. Sasha had returned and behind her was... my mystery man. He looked angry, worried and on edge.

"You!" I exclaimed.

"You just had to wake up now." He said as if I couldn't hear him.

My anger took over. "You've got some nerve kidnapping me like that!"

"You'd be dead if I hadn't, brat."

"What are you talking about? What did you do to my leg?"

"You don't need to know that."

"Excuse me?"

"Are you deaf?" He said nonchalantly.

"Are you insane? You drag me into your whole …. whatever this is and then you're not explaining a damn thing to me?! Just what do you plan to do with me?"

"There's no way I can make you forget about all of this forcefully, so I'm currently searching for a convenient way to make sure you shut your trap."

That cold, merciless sentence stroke me and I froze for a second. I would be lying if I said I wasn't afraid. "You … want to kill me?"

"That's a possibility."

"Captain, isn't that a bit... harsh?" Said Thomas looking a little freaked out.

"If that's what it takes, I see no reason to hesitate." He turned to the blonde guy. "Don't worry, I'll be the one to dirty my hands."

When he turned back to me, his eyes were glowing like the night before. I felt my heartbeat accelerate drastically and sweat drops forming on my forehead. I might have also been visibly trembling. I stood there staring at him with what probably was a terrified look. My mind was blank. All I could do was stare back at those terrifying eyes, that weren't blinking. I bit my lower lip to keep myself from panicking. Time went by, a minute, maybe two … when the door was pushed open and a tall blond man also dressed in black entered. He was followed by a woman with brown hair and glasses.

"Enough Levi! Scaring her won't do any good to anyone."

"Not warning her of her possible fate is even worse Erwin." Replied the shorter man.

When the woman saw me she approached me quickly. She was holding some sort of box in one hand and a sheet of paper in the other. She set it all on the ground and while looking through the paper and opening the box, she spoke to me.

"Sorry about all this. He's likes to scare people. Anyways, I haven't finishes monitoring you but I'm pretty sure you'll be fine after just another safe shot..."

She stood up and tried to grab my hand to make me come closer I guess. But the second she touched me, I pulled my hand away and backed off four feet. She looked confused for a second, before smiling gently.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Don't worry I'm not going to bite you or anything."

"Hanji!" Shouted Levi and Erwin simultaneously.

"What?"

"You... all have fangs?" Without me wanting to, another question came out of my mouth. One I actually didn't want to have an answer to. "Are you guys vampires or something?"

Connie sighed as if he was annoyed before answering. "We're not vampires. We're just..."

"We drink blood if that's the question." Said Levi cutting him off.

I started feeling very uneasy. That was one information too many, even though it was kind of obvious. Vampires? Seriously? Was I having a nightmare or did I simply hallucinate? Without wanting to, I started laughing nervously. I held my left wrist with my right hand as if to get a grip on something and make sure this was still reality.

"Don't go having a panic attack on us, kid."

"Easy for you to say." I replied not nearly as aggressively as I wanted to. "I have to sit."

I let myself fall on the training mat, crossed my legs and held my head with my hands while staring at the floor. I could feel my heartbeat accelerating even more and my body showed no sign of calming down. The woman named Hanji slowly got closer to me and kneeled beside me.

"Not to freak you out anymore, but I really need to give you this shot now. Sooo if you could please show me your calf for thirty tiny seconds, I promise you won't feel a thing."

I took a deep breath and stared at her a couple second before uncovering my leg. Between the shot and the bite, I'd pick the shot anyday. She examined the scar and then pierced my skin with a syringe, injecting a weird whitish liquid in my veins. She then smiled.

"See? Nothing to worry about. And at least now you're 100% safe."

"The wounds I got that night... they weren't stab wounds were they? They were fang marks."

Hanji nodded. "Yes. Someone bit you. And he was positive."

"What do you mean?"

"Some of the subjects carry a virus. We call them positives."

"So you actually saved my life?" I looked at Levi. "What was the point if you're going to kill me now?"

"Don't say that..."

"We couldn't take the risk of anyone else learning about this virus. It would have revealed our existence. And we can't have that." Interrupted Levi once more.

"So what? You're going to lock me up in here for the rest of my life? That or eating me? You call that a choice?!"

He frowned and walked towards me. He grabbed me by the shirt and pulled me up to my feet to slam me against the wall. I let out a grunt as I was lifted a bit off the ground. Levi was extremely close to my face, almost touching me. He hissed and I saw his fangs stretch out only an inch away from my face. My heart stopped for a second. Then his mouth approached my ear and he spoke with a low threatening voice.

"I suggest you watch your tongue, girl. The reality you're about to step in is a much harsher one than the peaceful little life you know. It's a living nightmare. Trust me when I say you don't wanna cross the boundary. You can't take it. You're weak."

I was terrified, no need to deny that. But this guy was making my anger grow as much as my fear.

"I'd rather be dragged in that reality than stay locked up in my own little world, not knowing what the hell is really going on."

He frowned even more. "You naive little brat. You'll regret these words forever."

'Wow! Deja vu.' I thought. "Try me, bastard."

He let out an annoyed 'tch' before letting go off me. "I won't trust you with anything kid. So don't expect to be one of us."

"I really don't want to. I just want to know the truth."

"You don't get to decide that. First, we get to know everything about you. Then we decide what to do with you."

"And how long is that gonna take? I have a life you know."

"Not anymore."

"What do you think is gonna happen when my family discovers that I'm missing? They'll call the cops and start looking for me."

"Then we'll have to make sure that doesn't happen."

That sentence was scarier than anything I'd heard until now. I took a step closer and grabbed the collar of his jacket. "EAT ME ALL YOU WANT, BUT YOU STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM MY FAMILY!" I shouted.

He didn't smile but was obviously amused by my sudden 'act of bravery'. Even I could feel my hand trembling against him.

"If you don't want this to take forever and be back at your place before you folks wake up, I suggest you start talking."

My eyes widened and I let go off him, staring completely confused.

"Don't be fooled. We'll be keeping watch on you 24/7 until we decide what to do with you. Don't scratch the death sentence off the list yet. Say the slightest thing about all this, and we'll end you on the spot. Is that clear enough for you kid?"

I looked at the ground in submission. Hanji, Erwin and Levi then took me to a room that looked like an office. I sat down, while the three of them and all the others were just standing around the room staring at me. Another very tall blonde man joined us. He was quiet but with a strong presence. Now I really felt like a cornered prey.

"Start talking brat." Said Levi.

"What do you want me to say?"

"Everything. Teenage girls like to talk about themselves, don't they? Here's your chance."

"Jerk." I muttered. "My name is Petra Ral, I'm almost 18 years old. I'm a 12th grader at Trost High School. But I already have my diploma and I've been following college classes for the past three years."

"What are you still doing in high school if you're that smart?" Asked Hannah.

"I wanted to stay with my friends and not be a social outcast at a university were people are five years older than me. Just because you're smart doesn't mean you're mature. I was fourteen when I started."

"What kind of studies?" Asked Erwin.

"High tech working."

"What about your family?" Asked Hanji.

"My foster dad works for the city's security. I live with him, his wife and two kids."

"What happened to your real parents?"

"They died in a car crash with my little brother six months ago."

"I'm really sorry." Said Erwin.

"Just don't mention them." I said. "Are those questions really necessary?"

"More than you think." Said Levi. "What else?"

"Like what? Wanna know what kind of shampoo I use?" I snapped back.

Instead of replying, Levi opened his mouth slightly and licked his teeth. It sent shivers down my spine.

"Enough of that Levi!" Said Erwin. "What about physical activities?"

"Mostly archery and free running."

Hanji and Erwin looked at each other. Their eyes were saying 'now that's interesting'.

"I really don't like the looks on your faces." I said pushing my chair back a little.

Erwin turned to me again. "You must be good with computers. How much of a good hacker would you say you are?"

I really wasn't expecting this question. "I've … never hacked anything."

The second I was done with my sentence, a hand grabbed be behind the neck. My whole body tensed up and I felt Levi's mouth almost touching my ear.

"One more lie and I bite your ear off."

"Okay, okay! I'm a good hacker! A really good one even. But I never did anything illegal!"

"Hacking itself is illegal, stupid."

He let go off me. Man, this guy was scary. "Hey by the way, how did you find out where I lived?"

He took a blue phone out of his pocket. It was mine. 'Who's the hacker now?' I thought.

"Levi, Erwin..." Said Hanji, going over her notes. "She's perfect."

"You've got to be kidding, four-eyes..." Said Levi.

"You have to admit, we can use everything she's got."

"Are you deaf or just stupid? Did you miss out on the fact that she's normal?"

"It doesn't matter. The one that dragged her into this mess was you. Now she's in it with us. Do you really want to kill her that bad?"

"She's an immature, city girl with no experience. How long do you think she's going to last?"

"If you train her, she might even become one of the bests." Said Hanji with a cocky smile.

"I don't trust her."

"Hanji's right Levi. We might not get another chance like this. You said it yourself, she's already in this mess with us."

"Are the two of you even listening? You want to just tell everything to a brat you just met, because she 'seems' to be right for the job?"

Erwin and Hanji stayed quiet and pensive for a moment, then Erwin turned to the tall blonde man with the beard and mustache.

"Mike?"

That man looked relaxed and bored at the same time. But he looked at me from head to toes. Then he came closer and just like Connie before, got uncomfortably close and started sniffing me. It lasted about ten seconds (which was way too long) before I placed my hand in front of his face and pushed him off.

"Can you stop? It's really annoying and creepy."

He backed off and then gave me a small smile, before turning to Erwin.

"She's good."

Erwin smiled too. "I trust Mike's instinct."

"Tch." Replied Levi gritting his teeth and rolling his eyes.

"Would you rather kill her right here and now? Besides it's not your decision to make. It's mine."

He didn't reply but gave them a death glare. I was more and more confused. "Excuse me Mr Erwin. What exactly is it that you want from me?"

"You're skilled, Petra. And we could use these abilities to help us."

"Vampires need help from me? That sounds weird. What's going to happen if I say no?"

"Then I'm afraid you'll have to remain here with us. Permanently."

"In other words, I don't have a choice. Sounds like blackmail from where I'm sitting."

I looked at the ground and started thinking, gathering everything I've seen till now. Vampires exist. Vampires had saved me from other vampires twice now. None of them has tried to eat me. Maybe a clan war or some crazy shit like that was going on. If that was the case, based on my abilities, I would be asked to help track them down.

"How can I make a decision when I barely know anything?"

"That's life kid." Said Levi. "It's called taking risks."

"You're the boss here aren't you mister Erwin? So tell me one thing. Do you think your cause or whatever is it you do is just?"

"I firmly do."

"So even if I disagree with all of this, I can still try to convert you." I said that half-joking. Then I raised my head. "Alright, you got a deal. But don't involve anyone else."

I had no clue where this was going. I just knew one thing. I wanted to see my family again and know what the hell kind of a world I was truly living in.

* * *

 **Sorry if this chapter was kind of confusing and didn't really explain much. But I promise you'll grasp the situation our favorite characters are in soon enough! ;) Please don't forget to review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi guys! Hope you enjoy the new chapter where Petra has to rearrange her life style a bit while protecting her new secret. Enjoy and please review!**

* * *

I opened my eyes and saw that I was in my room. I blinked a few times to make sure of that. I sat up and rubbed my eyes for a couple seconds. The sun was up. I checked my alarm clock. It was 10:30am. 'Was all of this a dream? Why can't I remember what happened after I agreed to the deal?' The sight of my scar quickly reminded me that this was reality and that I'd made a pact with the devil. I got up and went downstairs. Amanda was already cooking this early.

"Hi, there! You look well. Looks like whatever you had yesterday went away easily."

'Yeah, easily.' I thought. "I'm still pretty tired though. And starving."

"I knew you'd say that. I made pancakes!"

"You're awesome. Thanks." I grabbed the plate and started eating. "Tim's not awake yet?"

"He went jogging around the park."

"On a Sunday? He's still mad at me..."

"No, I think he's worried Petra. It seems that lately you keep getting in trouble. To tell you the truth, I'm concerned too."

"I'm sorry."

I finished eating quickly and went back to my room to grab some clothes and take a shower. My pajamas still smelled like sweat and I felt disgusting. I went in the bathroom, undressed and turned on the water. Taking a shower had never felt so good. Then someone came knocking on the door.

"Petra! Open the door. I need my hairbrush." Said Myra's voice.

"I'll give it to you when I'm done showering."

"But I want it now."

"Waiting ten minutes isn't going to kill you. Go away."

"Come on."

"Myra!" I snapped exasperated. "I'm not in the mood for petty arguments. Please, just go away."

"Okay, fine. Don't take your frustration out on me."

"Then stop throwing oil on the fire."

I heard her leave and got back to shampooing my hair. I sighed loudly.

"Geez. Some days, I wish I was deaf." I growled.

"Too bad. You're gonna have to listen."

My heart almost dashed out of my chest. That deep masculine voice I knew all too well sounded like it was … in the same room as me. I peeked on the other side of the curtain. Levi was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, head down with his eyes closed. I felt my blood rush to my head and my face getting uncomfortably hot.

"W-what the..."

He smacked his hand on my mouth without even looking in my direction. "If you scream everyone will know you have a guy in your bathroom. Idiot."

I pushed his hand away and whispered. "Never mind that! How did you manage to come in? What the hell are you doing here?"

"I told you I have something to tell you. You're slow."

"And you couldn't wait for me to be dressed up?"

"Just be quiet. I'm the one that needs to talk. So keep showering and listen."

'Easier said than done. I'm a teenage girl naked in a shower talking with someone I hate who happens to be a blood drinker.' How much of this sounded wrong? The entire thing if you asked me. Never the less, it's not like I could do anything about it. So I kept applying shampoo to my hair, while my faced remained as red as a tomato. Well, it's not like he was trying to look either.

"I'm listening." I said.

"We've got work for you. I'll come pick you up tonight, between midnight and one. Be ready."

"Hold on. Why at night?"

"In case you didn't notice, airhead, we're only active by night."

"Why? Does the sun burn your skin?" I snapped back ironically.

"Stupid brat." He replied nonchalantly but rolling his eyes.

"Besides, I can't. I have school tomorrow."

"That's gonna be another issue. You have to drop out."

"What?!"

"Shh! You're too loud. The 'job' you accepted is gonna require a big part of your usual sleep-time. Between that and your college work, you're going to have to find some time to rest. If you keep attending high school, you're gonna die of sleep depravation."

Stop going to school? The whole reason I didn't move out of town and attend college directly was because I wanted to stay with my friends and well, grow up with them sort of. How could I just tell them that I was dropping out? Sure they all knew about my secret but still... wouldn't that be kind of throwing them aside?

"Hey, don't let the water go to waste like that."

Levi's voice brought me back to reality and I turned off the shower. I grabbed the curtain and was about to pull it when I remembered he was still here.

"Can you give me my towel, please?"

He did and I wrapped it around myself. Levi kept talking.

"Also, four-eyes says not to run for a couple of days. You'll pull your stitches. That's common sense but with you, we can't be too sure."

"You're an ass." Was all that I replied as I finished tying the towel around me. "Anyways, how do you plan on getting out now?"

I got no answer. I pushed the curtain away slowly. He was gone. The door was closed. I stepped out of the shower and looked at the handle. The door was still locked. That sent shivers down my spine. At least now I was 100% sure it wasn't a dream. 'Can he walk through walls or what? Talk about creepy.' I dried myself and put on my a dark blue jean and a red t-shirt before drying my hair and going back to my room. I looked at my assignments for college, finished them before going over my latests notes. Truth be told, it was all easy to me but admitting to myself that I was smarter than most people my age really didn't go right with me. People have different kinds of smarts. Krista was the best dancer you could ever meet. Jean had a gift to communicate with his dogs that he trained them with great skill. Marco was the new Sherlock and Ymir, aside from being a mathematical genius, was a careful and strategic thinker. And all of them were loyal and kind. I really couldn't wish for better friends. And I had a feeling I was going to see them less and less now. That thought pissed me off and I kicked the empty trash can that was under my desk before closing my computer and letting myself fall on my bed. That's when I noticed a package on the floor. I opened it. It contained black clothes.

"Levi probably brought them." I took them out.

Aside from the color, they were actually pretty stylish. Black pants, skinny yet comfortable enough to move around easily. A black tank-top and to go over it, a short cut fake leather black jacket with, black gloves and black boots just as comfortable as the pants. There was also what looked like a black headband with a silver buckle, but it was too tight to be one. 'Guess I'll ask them.' Under the clothes, written on the package was one sentence. _Wear black nail polish_. Why the hell did he want me to do that? But coming from him, I really doubted it was a joke. I could almost hear him saying those word to me. So much that I let out an exasperated "Yes, sir!" I stared at the clothes still not sure if this was reality. If it was, how was I not completely freaking out? 'I mustn't be right in the head.'

Knock. Knock.

"It's Myra."

"Come in."

The girl entered the room and closed the door behind her. Her dark brown hair was brushed and impeccably braided. She looked at the ground before saying.

"I'm sorry about earlier. Are you mad?"

"Na, I'm just tired. Yesterday was … strange."

"Thanks for the nail polish by the way. I took all of them." She said with a cocky smile.

"Actually could you give me back the black one?"

"You can have that one back. Besides putting on black nail polish is creepy."

'Yeah no kidding.'

"Mom told me to come get you. We're having lunch now."

Myra and I made our way to the kitchen where Alec, Timothy and Amanda were already seated. Tim glanced at me. He didn't look angry but more like 'we're not done talking about this'. I sat at the table facing him and Myra sat next to me. We ate lunch without me saying anything. When dessert was finished, I finally said :

"Tim, Amanda. I need to talk to both of you."

They looked at me with slightly startled faces. Then Amanda asked Myra and Alec to leave the room.

"Well, what do you have to tell us?" Asked Tim a tiny-bit worried.

"I want to quit school."

"Can you say that again?"

"I said, I want to quit high school. You were right from the start, it's useless for me to keep going when I already have this much work. And I was thinking I could get a job instead or something."

"Well, then I'll have to call the school and tell them... But does that mean you wanna move to Sina?" Asked Amanda.

"No, I still wanna be with my friends so, I'm gonna keep following my classes from here."

"What exactly made you change your mind?" Tim had a hint of suspicion in his voice.

"I just feel like... the pressure is crushing me. I guess I realized that yesterday."

"Are you sure?" Asked Amanda. "Petra, you were so set on the idea of finishing school with your friends..."

"Yeah, I'm sure. They'll understand. Besides they all know my secret."

"What about this job you were talking about?"

"Well I haven't exactly started searching but, if I have a lot of free time now, I might as well get one. Are you against it?"

"No. As long as it doesn't affect your studies, it's fine."

"Okay. Thank you for understanding." I said smiling.

After that I went back to my room, feeling miserable. After everything I'd done to be able to keep going to school with my friends like a normal teen, I was just throwing it away. On the other hand my life was surely going to get even busier than that. I grabbed my phone (that I apparently got back from them) and called Krista.

"Petra?"

"Yeah, what's up Kris?"

"Well, I just finished dance practice and I was going to call you."

"Wait, is your bodyguard around?"

Krista was the daughter of the King and whenever she stepped out, she wasn't aloud to be alone. Even though she'd taken martial arts since she was four and was a black belt in a lot of disciplines. Despite her tiny size, Krista wasn't someone you could just step on. She looked sweet most of the time, but the truth was she had an explosive temper when she got angry.

"Yeah, why? Do you need to talk about you-know-what?" She was obviously referring to that night.

"No, I want to see all of you guys together. I gotta tell you something. I'll invite Ymir and the boys over. Do you think you can sneak out?"

"Why do you even ask? I'll be there around three okay? I'll call Jean."

"Okay, thanks. Bye."

I hung up and called Ymir.

"That you Petra?"

"I need you to come around three. We need to talk."

"All of us? Okay I'll be there. I'll grab Sherlock for you. Knowing the geek, he's not going to answer his phone."

"Thanks a bunch. See you."

Jean, Ymir and Marco arrived around the same time. As usual, Marco had his tiny notebook to take notes, Ymir, her bored looking face and Jean had brought Orion with him. The dog was cute golden retriever, not yet fully grown.

"Hi Petra!" Said Marco in a cheerful voice. "So did you remember anything from..."

Before he could say anymore, Jean hit him behind the head.

"Don't shout, idiot!" He whispered. "Amanda and Tim are still around."

"Let's go to my room."

We all went upstairs and just sat on the floor.

"So." Said Jean. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Let's wait for Krista to get here."

"I am here." Said a muffled voice.

I looked at my window. Krista was outside, standing on the edge, waiting for me to open. I quickly did and pulled her inside.

"Are you crazy? You could have fallen." I told her.

"I couldn't let your folks know that I was coming. That'll make a big fuss."

Knock. Knock. "Petra? It's Amanda. I brought you guys some food and drinks."

Krista quickly opened my closet and hid in there. Amanda opened the door and came to place the small tray on my desk and turned to us one more time before leaving. She smiled.

"There's enough for all five of you. And I like when my guests knock at the front door even if they are royals that are out without permission. Right, Historia?" She said saying Krista's real name. She left and closed the door behind her.

We all stared at the door in awe. Krista came out and did the same. Then Ymir finally said:

"Your foster mom's scary."

"And she has a good intuition." Added Jean.

"No need for intuition." Said Marco. "It's perfectly logical. The five of us always are together. The idea of one of us inviting three out of four is highly improbable, unless it concerns the absent person. Which in this case doesn't since Petra is the one that has something to say about herself...

"We get it, Sherlock." Sighed Ymir.

"Shut up, Marco." Said Jean.

"Anyways, what did you want to tell us?" Krista asked me.

"Well, I don't like beating around the bush so here goes nothing. I'm quitting high school."

"WHAT?" They all said at once.

"But why?" Said Kista. "I thought the whole reason you didn't take off was because you still wanted to live like a normal girl your age."

"Does that mean you're gonna leave us?" Said Marco

"That makes no freaking sense." Growled Jean. "What's the deal?"

"Guys! Quiet down! It's not the end of the world." Snapped Ymir. "Care to explain?"

"There's nothing to explain. I'm having trouble keeping up with my college assignments. I'm super late for some stuff and high school is what's eating away most of my time. I need more time so I can work. But no I'm not leaving."

"Well, I guess we won't be seeing you at a school anymore... That kind of sucks." Said Marco looking disappointed.

"It won't change anything for me. I don't go to school." Said Ymir. "Still it's kind of fishy coming from you. You've always been so insistent about attending high school. What's the catch, Petra?"

"There is no catch Ymir. I just don't need extra work. It may not look like it but I work a lot. If this keeps up I'm gonna fail both."

"Except it hasn't bothered you for the past three years."

"Also, why would it worry you when your grades are this good?" Marco had opened the drawer of my desk where I kept my old test papers.

'Crap.' I thought. 'I need to find an excuse and it has to be a good one.'

"Well? Come on spill." Said Jean impatiently.

"Petra. You're not in trouble are you?" Asked Krista.

'You have no idea Kris.' I rubbed the back of my head. "No, I'm not. Look I don't want to say anything now because I'm not sure of anything."

"So you're preparing something?"

"I told you I won't say anything now. But it involves getting a job."

"A job? A real, full time, well paid kind of job?" Said Jean.

"Oh it's full time all right. I'll probably do it for the rest of my life." I couldn't tell them I wasn't even joking.

"Wow."

"That's great!" Said Krista.

"I told you nothing's decided yet. The offer was made... surprisingly quickly."

"Can't you tell us more?"

"Sorry, no. I still don't even know the details of this job." At least that was true. "And you guys, not a word to Tim and Amanda. They don't have a clue."

"Well, keep us on the update okay?" Said Marco. "I hope it works out for you."

"Thanks Marco."

* * *

12:29 am. Everyone in the house was now fast asleep. I on the other hand was sitting on my bed, all dressed up in the black uniform Levi had brought me and was just staring at my alarm clock. My window was wide open. I had a bottle of coke to keep myself awake. I was still wondering what the point of black nail polish was. Part of the dressing code maybe? But even for guys? In any case, I had a lot to learn about these people.

"Are they really people?"

"You don't need to have fangs to be a monster, you know. The biggest monsters in the world are humans."

For second time today, I nearly jumped out of my skin. Levi was standing in front of my window, still all dressed in black, with a long coat.

"Wow! Stop doing that! Are you a ghost or can you teleport?"

"Neither. You're just particularly good at not paying attention. Get up, we don't have time to waste."

"Nice to see you too. So where are we going?" I said standing and facing him.

Levi jumped out the window. He landed with no problem in the yard. "You're a free runner. Show me what you can do."

"Next time you want to test me with this, give me something hard to do." I snapped back annoyed.

I jumped and landed (though maybe not as elegantly as him). Then I followed him out in the street and after a couple blocks, he stopped and turned to me again.

"Here comes the fun part." He said without the slightest hint of amusement. He took some sort of thin scarf out of his jacket. "Put this around your eyes."

"What?"

"The last thing I'm gonna trust you with is the location of the base. So I'm dragging you the entire way. That or I can knock you out. You choose."

I snatch the blindfold from of his hand and put it around my head. The trip was as bizarre as the one from two nights ago. With him dragging me while I was completely blind. At some point, we went down in the sewers, but that was all I could tell. I also heard some electronic noises before Levi finally took the blindfold of.

"Welcome to the core of the base."

The room I was in was huge, windowless and the walls were white and providing intense lighting to the room. It was filled with transparent desks and high tech. Some even had virtual computers. Thanks to my studies I knew all of these products but never had I seen so much in one place.

"Are you guys secret service or what?"

"Stay focused brat. Follow me."

We arrived to one section of the room where a bunch of people were gathered. All the people I'd met yesterday and a bunch more I'd never laid eyes on. Those ones stopped talking and froze when I arrived. 'Awkward.'

"First thing you have to know : order of the food chain. These guys over there with a red strap around the arm are Gunther, Eld, Oluo, and Mike. They're section leaders. Each of them is in charge of a bunch of brats. On top of that, me and Hanji. She's head of the science department."

"You have a science branch? What for?"

"Did you forget? We're not human and even we don't know much about our own physiology."

"How come?"

"Questions later. The big boss is Erwin. He makes all the decisions."

"And me?"

"You're an outcast. For now you answer to me, four-eyes and Erwin alone. Where's your collar?"

"My collar? You mean this?" I took the black strap our of my pocket. "I have to put it around my neck? Like a dog?"

"That's right." He brutally cupped my cheeks with one hand. "And you better be a nice obedient one, brat."

"Alright! I get it." I said pushing his hand away. "You've made yourself clear about that. What's it for anyway?"

"With this I can track you wherever you go. Simple as that. Everyone wears one during missions." He turned to the rest of them. "This is our new tracker. Don't pay her anymore attention than you need to. And don't tell her anything confidential. That's all."

Aside from the ones that hadn't digested the fact that a newcomer was here, no one seemed surprised by the way Levi was talking briefly and without any explanation. 'So he's usually a rude ass? Why am I surprised?'

"Petra?" Called out a voice behind me.

Erwin and Hanji approached. "Welcome again." Said the blonde man. "Did Levi explain to you..."

"... the food chain? Yeah. But I'm still as confused as ever."

"Well, here's the part where you get answers so cheer up!" Said Hanji.

"Remember when to stop four-eyes. Or I'll be the one to stop you."

"I know, I know. Come with us Petra."

We left the crowd and Hanji, Erwin and Levi took me to another end of the room to a big desk with a virtual computer.

"This is where you're going to start your assignment."

"What do you want me to hack exactly?"

"A face recognition program. We need a very sophisticated one."

"But for that I'd have to get pass extremely tough firewalls. And I'd have to create a shield so they can't trace us back here."

"Then start working." Said Levi.

"Not until I get my answers. What exactly are you trying to do? Who are you people?"

They were all silent for a couple minutes. "First thing you have to know, we're not supernatural beings. That doesn't exist. There are no werewolves, fairies, magic... You could say we are artificial vampires, but that's not the name given to us." Started Hanji.

Now that was an answer. A shocking one. "You mean someone made you?"

"Transformed us is a better term. We were all normal humans before." Continued Hanji.

"But why?"

"Classic answer." Said Levi. "Create new weapons. Except it didn't exactly go as planned for our creators. We weren't mindless animals who could be trained with a whip. As for what we are doing now, we're hunting our own."

"There are more of you?"

"Some were fascinated by their transformation." Continued Erwin. "And they liked the thrill of hunting."

"They're killing people?"

"Feeding on them."

"But how do you know they're still in this city."

"One : they don't know we're hunting them. Second : why would they leave when they have enough supplies? It'd be a bother to the freaks. Third : stop asking. This is all you'll get."

"I'm your tracker right? Tell me how you track them at least."

"The media. They're mostly in Maria, hiding from the law. We patrol around and send different teams to investigate the bloody murders. We usually find them fast. Then we eliminate them." Said Erwin.

"In Maria? Ymir..." I muttered.

"D'you say something?" Asked Hanji.

"No, no sorry. I was just thinking out loud." I rubbed my eyes. "I'm getting really tired."

"Take one of these." She handed to me a pack of white pills. "They'll keep you awake for three hours each. We'll probably bring you back between five and six. Good luck Petra."

"I have one more question. Do I have worry about someone here bitting me?"

"We're not Dracula, kid. Bloodlust works the same as hunger. You can control it."

"I see." Was all I answered. But I was relieved.

"Well, we're gonna let you get to work. The blonde sitting at the desk against the wall is Armin. He'll monitor you."

At the sound of his name, the blonde boy turned around, smiled and waved at me. I smiled back and nodded.

"Good luck Petra." Erwin and Hanji headed towards the door and Levi added this before following them.

"Don't try anything stupid. We're watching you." He whispered in my ear.

He followed his companions and I waited until he was out of my line of sight before turning back to the computer. It was the first time I got a virtual computer all to myself and to tell the truth I was kind of excited. 'Better get to work. Let's see what this baby can do.' I turned it on and started the program creation. At the same time I thought about what I'd just learn about them. 'Looks like I still had got a lot more to learn.' And getting Levi to trust me was going to be … difficult. I chased the annoying thoughts away and focused on the programming.

* * *

 **Hope you guys enjoyed it! But you better hang on! The real action starts next chapter! ;) Please don't forget to review.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi everyone! Here's chapter 7! Hope you'll like it even though there's not much action. Pay attention at the end, I have an important message for you guys! Enjoy and triple please review! ;)**

* * *

"Ouch!" I shouted, flinching at the contact of the wet cotton with the huge bruise on my temple.

I'd just finished my first physical training lesson with Levi. Although 'survive' is probably more accurate. My body was still trembling, my muscles were aching and I was covered in bruise from head to toe. I was now in Hanji's surgery room and she was cleaning and bandaging my wounds.

"Man, what a brute! He really messed you up didn't he?" She said. "I can't believe he went that hard on you when it's only your first training session."

"I think he hates me."

"I wish I could disagree with you but I can't. Not even for the sake of sympathy. I know you're the first case of intruder we've had but that doesn't mean he has to act like a jerk. What was the first lesson by the way? Fight to the death?"

"Self defense."

"I'm sorry. It might have been my fault. I'm the one who suggested he train you. But I know from experience he's the best. He trained everyone here."

"What's the point? It's not like I'm ever gonna be able to beat someone that's a thousand time stronger and faster than me."

"Hahahaha! Now you're letting the knowledge of vampires that you got from Twilight confusing you. I told you before, we're not supernatural. Just science freaks. When you think about it, we're kind of like big dogs."

"Dogs?" I said not really seeing the link.

"Our brain capacity is the same as a normal human and our physiology works about the same way. We don't have to eat real food as much as you do though. Twice a day works fine for us. And our senses get enhanced but not drastically like in the myths. They become as acute as a dog's, especially our sense of smell. Same goes for our strength. It's comparable to a big Mastiff's. The funny thing is, we also gain in agility. But once you have those, it takes time to get used to them and control them. What our bodies require though, is a big amount of iron. It provides us the necessary energy to use our new strengths. And, no surprise there, it's found in blood."

"How is that suppose to reassure me? OW!" I flinched when she touched another bad bruise on my arm.

"Think about it. A human with enough training is far from defenseless against a big dog. I know he's giving you a hard time and honestly I don't know why. But trust him. You'll be able to take on anyone with his training. "

"How am I suppose to do that if all he does is remind me that he'll kill me if I step out of line?" I said a little loud. "He's seriously scaring the hell out of me, Hanji. It's like every threat he gives me is a warning that I'm only a step away from being killed."

I then realized that my voice had shook. I looked at the ground and apologized for shouting. I guess I was really a lot more freaked out about this whole mess than I thought. What was it that he'd told me again?

 _"_ _You're weak."_

I wasn't even angry anymore at this point. Just scared out of my mind. I was illegally downloading a very sophisticated program for a bunch of vampires and I had no clue what they were going to use it for. How did I know I wasn't working for the mafia or something like that? They were hunting vampires that were hurting people but was that really the whole story? I just knew there was more. This thought was haunting me. What was it that these guys wanted? I felt Hanji's hand on my head. I looked up. She was smiling at me.

"I'm sorry, I'm not aloud to tell you anything. But I'm pretty sure you can understand bits of it on your own. And when you've truly proven yourself to shorty, even he'll tell you anything. And let me tell you that by getting to know everyone around here, you're not wasting anything. They're pretty good kids."

"No offense but that's not helping me feel any better." I yawned loudly. "I'm so tired."

"Don't you have time to sleep during the day now that you don't go to class anymore?"

"You think my folks let me sleep long when they think I've been sleeping the whole night? Anyways, I gotta go back to work before he comes dragging me back."

I stood up trying not to move around to much. I pushed the door and started walking back to the core. I started thinking about what Hanji had said. Understanding some of the situation by myself?

'They're vampires hunting other vampires. They're asking me to download a face ID search program. They're obviously looking for someone. But it can't be these other vampires since they're tracking them with the media. No, they're searching for someone or some people specifically. And whoever they are, Erwin and the others know what they look like. If I can just figure out who, I might...'

"Hey brat!"

I gasped and jumped back a step. Levi was standing in the hallway, blocking my way. His arms were crossed and he looked pissed. He was holding some sort of electronic device in his hand. He marched towards me quickly. Without realizing it, I backed up against the wall. He crashed one fist into the wall right next to my hand and I unintentionally let out a small scream of fear and surprise.

"What's your problem?"

"This." He brought the small device in front of my face and pressed a button on it. It started playing a recorded conversation.

 _"_ _Well? Come on spill."_

 _"_ _Petra. You're not in trouble are you?"_

 _"_ _No, I'm not. Look I don't want to say anything now because I'm not sure of anything."_

 _"_ _So you're preparing something?"_

 _"_ _I told you I won't say anything now. But it involves getting a job."_

 _"_ _A job? A real, full time, well paid kind of job?"_

 _"_ _Oh it's full time all right. I'll probably do it for the rest of my life."_

 _"_ _Wow."_

 _"_ _That's great!"_

 _"_ _I told you nothing's decided yet. The offer was made... surprisingly quick."_

 _"_ _Can't you tell us more?"_

 _"_ _Sorry, no. I still don't even know the details of this job. And you guys, not a word to Tim and Amanda. They don't have a clue."_

He turned it off. "Real smooth. You couldn't have made it more obvious?"

"W-what the... how in the...? Were you spying on me?!"

"I told you that we'd keep an eye on you 24/7. Stop acting like you weren't warned. Now talk."

"What did you expect me to say? You got a better idea of what I could have answered? My friends aren't idiots. They know me better than anyone! Of course they could see right through me."

"And you just thought telling them something this close to the truth was a good idea?"

"Fine! Next time I'll save them the trouble to think. No better, I won't say a thing and I'll let them look for answers themselves. That way they can get dragged in this whole mess and get a chance to be eaten by vampires. How does that sound?!"

He suddenly got in closer and hissed half an inch away from my face, his fangs flashing in front of my eyes. My body tensed up and I think I stopped breathing. I tried to push myself deeper into the wall.

"Don't play smartass with me. I can snap your neck in two in a half second if I want to. So watch it. Anyways it's too late to take back what you said. Make sure you tell them that you didn't get the 'job' and that assignments for college just got numerous and difficult. And keep me informed if they get suspicious." He leaned in even closer and whispered in my ear. "Don't forget what I said about lying. I won't hesitate one second to terminate your sorry ass."

"Okay, okay! Can you back off now please?" I swear I sounded like I was about to cry. "I gotta get back to work."

The second he took a step back I quickly walked away, heading to the computer room. I didn't stop shaking until much later. 'What was I thinking? Was I trying to get myself killed? I have got to watch my damn mouth.' I sat back at the desk with the virtual computer and continued programming. I'd been working on it for five days now. I was done with finding the right program to download but I now had to hack pass complicated firewalls while keeping their signal stable and prevent them from finding out they were being hacked. For some odd, reason Armin wasn't here.

"Hey, Petra." I recognized Connie's voice but I didn't bother to turn around, not because I was busy typing in a new order but because well... these guys kind of scared me too.

"Hi."

"That looks complicated." He said looking over my shoulders, way too close for comfort for me. "You really are a genius."

"No, just a good hacker. Did you want something or are you here to monitor me?"

"I just wanted to see you work a bit."

This time he grabbed my shoulders and leaned closer to the screen and me. As a reflex, I sent my elbow over the back of my chair to collide with his chest. I wasn't strong enough to have hurt him but he backed off a couple steps and looked at me with a confused look. I wasn't blinking and just staring at him, my arm still raised and breath quickly.

"Hey, don't be so defensive. I'm not gonna bite you or anything, honest." He backed off a little more. "I just wanted to ask if you were hungry. Everyone's eating now and we wanted to know if you wanted to join us. Sasha was insistent. But she probably said that because she wants to steal food from you."

He said that grinning. I lowered my arm and looked at him for a bit. He really was like a teen having fun with his friends and enjoying his life. I remembered what Hanji had said to me. _"And let me tell you that by getting to know everyone around here, you're not wasting anything."_ Could I really become close with these vampires I knew nothing about? It was a chance to get to know my situation better as well. But i'd have to get passed my paranoia of getting bitten. Maybe I could give it a shot.

"Okay."

"Great! Follow me."

Once more I was walking through the many hallways of this underground base. Connie lead me to an elevator. We went up one floor. When we stepped out, it looked like the hallway of a luxurious hotel. Completely different from the modern looking base, full of high tech that was one floor down. It was nicely decorated, with red carpets on the floor.

"Looks like we stepped in a five star hotel or something."

"This is where we eat and sleep. Downstairs is just for work and training." Said Connie. "Come on."

I followed him to a big room where a bunch of vampires who I vaguely remember the faces of, were eating around different tables. But I couldn't see Levi, Hanji or Erwin. Connie took me to a table where Sasha and some of the others I'd already met were eating and chatting.

"I brought her."

"Hi, there Petra!" Said Sasha. "Come sit next to me. So you've already met Thomas,Mira and Armin and the girl with the pokerface is Mikasa. Don't let her scare you. She's super strong but she's really nice."

"Nice to meet you." Said the asian girl with a flat voice.

"Yeah, hi."

"So, how are you getting used to things around here?" Asked Thomas.

"Well, it's only been a week you know. I honestly need to get use to the idea that I'm working for vampires and killers."

"Now hold on just a second!" Said Connie. "We told you our job was to hunt down those of us who went berserk. What the hell gave you the idea that we were murderers?"

"Maybe the fact that I always receive nothing but death threats since I got here? And don't tell me he's joking."

He was quiet for a couple seconds and observed me. "You're freaked out aren't you?" I didn't reply. "Sorry. We sort of forgot that you're normal. I guess finding yourself in the middle of a group of 'vampires' is freaky for someone like you. But look, we're not killers. Or at least we're trying not to be. The only thing that matters to us is finding the strays and keeping them from harming anyone. But most of the time it requires killing them."

"The point is, we don't feed on humans so you got nothing to worry about." Said Sasha, her mouth full. "Regular food tastes better anyways. Hey Mikasa can I have your bread?"

"No."

"Ah come on! You haven't been eating anything for like ten minutes."

"I didn't say I was still hungry. I just said that I'm not giving it to you." She replied.

"What? You're so mean!"

"Stop whining will you!" Said Oluo. He tossed her his own bread. "Eat this and shut up."

"Aw thank you, almighty Mister Oluo!" She said with tears in her eyes.

"Tch." He said looking away.

"Oluo, can you please stop?" Said Mina giving him a reproachful look. "You're not the captain."

"That's how you talk to your lieutenant, you brat?"

"Wow, that imitation sucked." I let out unintentionally.

"Shut your mouth. What do you even know about the captain, you stupid girl?"

"I know that I don't want to know anything about someone who takes killing so lightly." I snapped.

The reaction was not the expected one. They all stared at me for moment, before Oluo growled and sprang up from his seat. He made a move to grab me but Connie who was sitting next to me stood up and blocked him.

"Calm down!"

"You want me to calm down? Did you even hear what that little bitch just said..."

"OLUO! CALM THE FUCK DOWN, DAMMIT!" Said Connie grabbing him by the collar.

"What do you want to do? Kill her?" Said Mikasa slightly raising her voice. "You're suppose to be a responsible lieutenant."

I sat in my chair petrified. What exactly had I just said to make him loose it like that? He stared at me with visible hate in his eyes.

"Tch. I'm leaving."

He walked out of the room and left.

"What... just happened?" I asked.

"Petra." Connie turned towards me. "Don't ever insult the captain in front of us again. You're gonna get hurt if you do."

"Are you threatening me?" I asked honestly.

"No, I'm warning you. The captain saved all of us from certain death and maybe worse. We owe him everything. Every single one of us in this room. And not a lot of us are going to put up with someone trash talking about him for long."

He was direct, honest in his words. They all looked like they agreed. I sighed.

"Then tell me why. I'm tired of being in the dark about everything. Give me a clear reason why I should respect your activities and him as a man. Tell me I'm not doing something wrong by working for you."

He stayed quiet for a second and then sat back down next to me. "Remember how I told you that we weren't vampires technically? We're a science project that went wrong. And the official name for us, is angels."

"Official? You mean you were existent to someone in this world?"

"Yeah, to the bastards that made us. The project was called Heaven."

"Connie!" Said Mikasa, obviously telling him to stop talking.

"It's alright. I'll take all the blame."

"No the point! If you don't stop talking now, you know we'll have to stop you." She snapped and threw him a dark look. "I'm not kidding."

"She's gonna learn it eventually."

"Connie!" She said standing up.

I didn't want to turn this into a fight. I was about to tell them to stop but then the sound of a plate breaking on the ground caught all our attention. Sasha was breathing heavily. Her eyes were staring at nothing and had a fearful expression She started eating the content of another's plate really fast. When she was done, she grabbed Connie's plate and started eating again. Then she did the same with Thomas's plate. Then, when she seemed like she couldn't take anymore, she collapsed on the table and grabbed chest and neck with her hands. She breathed really loudly. Tears started flowing out of her eyes. She was difficulty breathing. She tried to stand but fell on the ground knocking her chair down.

"Crap." Said Connie.

He jumped over the table to the other side and "It's kicking in again."

He kneeled down next to her. He brought her close to him, her back leaning on his lap and he placed his arm around her neck. It was like he was firmly yet gently holding her. "Easy, girl. You're gonna be okay."

She kept breathing loudly and even started coughing. "Connie… it burns!"

"Take it easy Sasha. Keep breathing, don't forget to breath." He said patting her back.

"What's happening to her?" I asked terrified.

"We have to find her a blood pack!" Asked Connie to the others aggressively.

Sasha grabbed his arm. In between her choked up breaths, she manage to say. "Don't..want it...not... for me...ughh..."

The door sprang open and Levi and Hanji stepped in. When they saw Sasha on the ground they both hurried to her side and kneeled down. Hanji felt her pulse and looked at her eyes with a small torchlight.

"It's worse than usual. She's dehydrating faster."

"Is she gonna be alright?" I asked.

Levi raised his head. "What the hell are you doing here? Get out. Now."

"But..."

"Mikasa, Armin. Take her out."

The asian girl nodded before grabbing my arm and dragging me out of the room. The blonde boy followed us. I glanced back one more time, to look at the brunette writhing in pain in Connie's arm, clenching her teeth to contain her screams. Once in the elevator, I asked.

"Whatever's happening to her... it's bloodlust right? Otherwise he wouldn't have kicked me out."

"You're sharp." Simply stated Mikasa.

"So you guys do have bloodlust?"

"Only Sasha. She's a fallen."

"A what?"

"That's how they called the ones who were imperfect." Explained Armin. "She can calm the pain by eating a lot, but once her stomach can't take anymore the pain just strangles her. She says it feels like she's drying up. Human blood is the only thing that can calm the pain. But even Hanji can't tell why. And Sasha always refuses to drink human blood, even from blood packs."

"But that's … she's in so much pain..." I said.

I was horrified at the idea of feeling this much pain and refusing to take the only thing that could calm it. But she was probably doing it because she didn't want to drink human blood.

"How long does it last?"

"It depends. It's irregular and it can last between six hours and two days."

"But she'll go insane if she keeps hurting like that!"

"We tried everything, nothing works but blood. And stealing from blood banks isn't easy or pleasant. I think that's how she feels at least. There's no way we'd kill someone for that and the blood packs would mean stealing something that could save another persons life. Even if she did give in and agreed to take it, we don't have anymore in stock. " He looked at his feet with a sad look.

"But you've got me."

Both of them suddenly looked at me. "Hold on you're not thinking of..."

The elevator doors opened and I dashed to Hanji's lab. I looked through her medical equipments until I found a small syringe. Without wasting time making a garrote and drew blood from my arm. Mikasa and Armin had fallowed and me and were just watching impotently. I gave Armin the syringe.

"Go give it to her. If I go back, Levi will kill me for sure. Come on hurry. And tell Sasha I'm giving it to her. GO!" I urged forcefully placing the syringe in his hand.

"Right." He ran out of the room quickly.

I sat on the ground, once more getting lost in thought and thinking about who would do something as cruel as using other people and turn them into this. Mikasa went to a drawer and took out a bandaid. She grabbed my arm and put it on the spot where the needle had pierced my skin.

"That was reckless."

"Who the hell did this to her? To all of you?"

"Tell me something. Are you trying to get on the captain's bad side?"

"Do you think I'm suicidal? All I want is to know why exactly I'm here and what I'm doing. I don't like not knowing."

She looked at me for a long time. "...You remind me of someone. He was also curious and reckless."

For a moment there, I thought she was about to cry. But she didn't. She just seemed to be lost in old memories. She muttered " They'll pay."

"Well, I should get back to work. Thanks for the bandage... Mikasa, right?"

She nodded and we left Hanji's office. Mikasa went back to the upper floor and I, to the computer room. I worked on the program for two more hours before finally finishing the creation of my shield. Then I started the program download. But by the time it reached 10%, I was completely dozing off. My eyelids were getting heavier and heavier. The restlessness of my work, the lack of sleep, plus the chock of seeing Sasha's spasm sequence was finally having it's after effects on me. I fell asleep on the transparent desk, while the program slowly got copied.

* * *

"Petra. Petra, wake up."

I felt someone shaking me. I slowly opened my eyes and stretched before looking up. Eld, one of the lieutenants and Armin were behind me. I quickly rubbed my eyes to wake myself up. The blonde pointed to the screen.

"Is this normal?"

I looked at the virtual screen. It was beeping and shining red. I quickly typed in a few codes and the computer pulled up some messages.

 _Download 100% successful/ Program status : operative/ Detection threat : 0/ Virus : 0/ Shield damage : 12%/ Tracking activity : 0% /_

"You did it. I can't believe it." Said Armin impressed. "You really did it. In five days time. You're really amazing."

"I don't like this." I said pensively looking at the shield damage.

"What's wrong?" Asked Eld. "Downloaded the program right?"

"Do you see the damage to my shield? When I was twelve I used to hack into other programs for fun. And I never got more than 0.02% damage."

"Meaning what?"

"That means they have a particularly good protection system. There is still a possibility for them to track us even if we're not linked to their main system anymore. I'm gonna 'clean' it just to be sure."

I scanned the program but found nothing unusual. The computer seemed to have completely integrated the program.

"Well?" Asked Armin.

"Nothing. It looks completely clear. I guess this means I'm done."

"Great. Good work Petra." Said Eld giving me an honest smile. "I'll go tell the Commander."

"Thank you Petra!" Said Armin a little too loud.

Both of them had bright smiles on their faces. Was this stupid program that important to them? They really were searching for someone important. I opened my mouth to ask when we heard footsteps approaching.

"What are the three of you doing?" Asked Levi.

"She's finished Captain! The program is complete!"

His expression didn't change one bit but his eyes shifted to me and the computer. He looked very intently at it for a while, like he was searching for the slightest glitch. Then he turned to me.

"Five days, huh?"

I couldn't tell if he was impressed or just mocking me. I let out a give-me-a-break sigh before looking at my watch. My eyes widened when I saw that it was 9:00am.

"No, no, no, no! They're probably all awake by now!"

"Then stop whining and get moving."

* * *

Once back at my house, Levi helped me climb to my window from the backyard and avoid going through the front door since Amanda and the kids were already awake. What surprised me is that he climbed up after me.

"What is it?" I asked

"Listen brat. What you did for Sasha today, that was incredibly stupid. Don't ever do it again."

"How can you say that? You saw how much pain she was in! I couldn't just sit there and…"

"Quiet. You're yelling." He said as nonchalantly as usual.

"I couldn't leave her like that." I said with a lower voice. "Not when I could do something about it."

"She wants to be able to fight that pain on her own. You're not gonna be around forever. She can't get used to having you as a personal supply. She feels bad enough taking your blood."

"She didn't take it. I gave it to her."

He looked at me intently before speaking again. "You can rest for the next two nights."

"Then what? I'm done making the program."

"Then training. Starting now you and your brain are gonna help us find the Others. Once I say you're good enough you'll come with us on outdoor missions. You better be ready. I don't go easy on anyone."

'Yeah especially not me.' "You don't trust me at all, do you?"

"Not in the least. If you don't like it, I can always do you a favor and kill you."

"What is it with you and death?"

"Being dead sounds much more appealing than living the nightmare we are, brat. You'll discover that soon enough."

"Not if you keep me in the dark about everything. It's far better to know the truth."

"You don't know what you're talking about. You don't know half of what's going on."

"I know I'm living in a world with vampires. That's exactly why I want to know. And I will!"

I wasn't sure of what happened next but I found myself backed up against the wall with Levi's holding both my shoulders with a firm grip. His forehead was practically touching mine. His bang was brushing my skin. I could feel his minty breath on my face.

"You really are a stubborn brat. You don't even understand how weak and fragile you are." He tightened his grip on my shoulders, so much that I thought he was gonna break them. "I could crush you in a second. You've already got one foot in our world. Take another step and you'll never rest again."

He was serious and angry but I could also catch a hint of sadness in his words. I gulped and gathered my guts before answering.

"Even if you say that, I find no happiness in being ignorant."

"Tch." He gave me a scornful stare before letting go. "You really are an idiot."

And with that he was gone. And the first thing I did after that was close my curtains and fall asleep on my bed.

* * *

 **Trost High School rooftop**

It's been a week. A week since Petra had told her friends about her new secret. It was a Monday, 12:30 pm. Lunch break at Trost High. Krista, Marco and Jean were alone on the roof, laying on the ground and staring at the sky, despite the pre-winter's cold. Ymir was there too. None of them had seen Petra for over a week and that was odd.

"Hey." Said Jean to get his friend's attention. "You guys thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Yep." Replied Marco.

"Uh huh." Affirmed Krista.

"She lied." Stated Ymir.

They all sat up at the same time and faced each other.

"Amanda told me she sleeps most of the day, and works on her college assignments in the evening." Said Krista.

"I bet there was never any job and she just made that up to cover herself." Growled Jean.

"That's not her style at all. Petra always tells us her secrets, no matter what they are." Said the ex-thug.

"I see only one reason." Said Marco. "Whatever she's hiding, it's dangerous for us to know. And there's a very high chance it's due to what happened to you two last night."

"I knew she was in trouble." Said Krista.

"What do you suggest we do, genius?" Asked Jean.

Marco got lost in thought for a minute before smirking. "I've got a pretty classic but good idea. Although she will kill us when she finds out."

* * *

 **IMPORTANT MESSAGE : Hey guys! Starting next Saturday (July 4th), I'll be camping for about a month and I won't have my computer with me so I won't be able to post anything for a while. But I promise you, I'm not giving it up! So please don't hate me and don't forget me either! I will be eternally grateful to you!**

 **I guess I'll see you guys in August! ;) Have a great summer!**


	8. Chapter 8

**I'M BACK BABY! 'Sup, watchers! I missed writing for you guys so much! Anyways, I'm back and kicking, ready to make this story a thrilling one! As usual, I hope you'll enjoy this new chapter! And please review!**

* * *

I was once more sitting on my bed, in my uniform waiting for Levi to come and get me, while watching my alarm clock tic. My eyes then fell on my painted black nails. 'Is this really necessary? They're all wearing gloves most of the time...' I tried not to think about what he was going to put me trough tonighht. Hell, I didn't even know I'd be conscious at the end. This guy could make me kill myself if he really wanted to.

"I have got to stop thinking about that..."

"About what?"

Levi jumped off the edge of my window into my room and walked towards me. By now I was used to not seing him coming so I stopped protesting even though it still freaked me out. He tossed me something. It was a small camera.

"I found it under the roof. It was filming your window. You got a stalker or something?"

I looked at him dumbfounded before flipping the device around and finding small initials on the bottom. M.S.H.B.

"No way!"

"You know the guy?"

" Schoolmate. Well, ex-schoolmate." I lied. Well it wasn't completely a lie. I just left out the part that he was one of my bestfriends and had a genius detective mind! "You weren't filmed were you?"

"Tch. Who do you think I am? I spotted the thing before climbing."

"Well excuse me. Not all of us can see in the dark."

"You ready? "He asked ignoring my last comment.

"Like I have a choice."

"Stop whining and let's go."

Once down, Levi led me out the street to a motorcycle. I didn't ask questions, knowing he'd get annoyed and just climbed behind him. It was weird however because he didn't blinfold me this time. And I knew very well the streets he was driving through. He drove south at outrageous speed. I was a big fan of mechanics but that speed made me uncomfortable and I unconsciously hung tighter to him. When he stopped, I opened my eyes and realized we were in a very familiar container zone.

"What the... This is Maria! What are you, insane?"

"Is there a problem?"

"No, of course not! We're just casually walking in the most dangerous place in the city to be at night and ..."

I received a pinch on the nose. "And you're just forgetting that you have a monster with you. Consider me your bodyguard for tonight."

"Bodyguard? Weren't you planning to beat me to a bloody pulp?"

"Tonight's training is balance."

"Balance?"

"Keep up."

He said as he started walking off. I ran to catch up with him. Something was different about him. He wasn't focused on me. He looked bored and worried at the same time. I suddenly stopped, remembering where we were approaching. He stopped a couple steps later and turned around. "What's wrong?

"This is where..."

"They're gone. There's nothing to be scared of now. Besides you'll want to get used to the sight of blood and corpses."

"How can you just say that?"

"Keep walking."

He ordered. I sighed and followed. We arrived to the empty space that separated the C-zone from the warehouses. Just like he'd said, the bodies were gone. But bloodstains were still coloring the ground. Levi kept walking without stopping and I followed really closely starring at his back to avoid looking down. I thought that I would puke if I did.

"Are you guys... responsible for this?"

"Just the clean up. I thought the brats already told you we're not interested in drinking human blood. This is the work of the stray ones."

"What exactly is wrong with them?"

"Nothing. They just enjoy their killer impulses. Nothing more thrilling and exciting than hunting a scared prey."

"That's horrible..."

"You haven't seen half of it..."

At this point I didn't even want to know more. It was so disgusting. How can intelligent creatures that used to be human, suddenly become psychos like this. Just thinking about it made my brain hurt. I didn't want to know just how deep they'd fallen... But then again, if somehow they could be turned back...

"Hey! Stay focused kid! You're the one who said the place wasn't safe."

* * *

"Hanji. Are you there?"

It was a stupid question. Erwin knocked on the science department's main office for the third time even though he knew perfectly the head was still there. It wasn't unusual for her to be lost in thought when something had caught her attention or something was wrong. Knowing this, the commander knocked one more time before opening the door.

"Hanji, I'm speaking to you."

"Hold it." Replied the woman without taking her eyes off her computer.

"Found something interesting?"

"Interesting indeed, not very reassuring though."

"What is it?"

"The virus Petra had in her system was different than the others. Faster in developpment and a lot more threatening. She reached he final stage in less than 24h. Also the vampires were chasing Levi that night. He's an alpha. Any other subject would get scared just seeing him, but these were after him. I know he was wounded but that wouldn't have kept their animal instinct from reacting to him."

"In other words, they were ordered to catch or kill him."

"Petra got caught in the middle of it and the bite she got prooves that they were different than than the others."

"Do you think THEY're at it again."

"There's a huge possibility."

The commander rubbed his face with his hand and sighed loudly before speaking again. "So we're in for an all out war."

* * *

"I said it before, I'll say it again. ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME?"

I was standing on the edge of a building's rooftop (fifteen stories tall by the way). A very very wobbly bridge made out of two thin tin ropes and rotten wooden planks was stretched in between this building and another one, thirty meters away. No need to explain that I was suppose to cross this. Levi was distractingly tightening the straps on his boots.

"Stop whining, will you?"

"I can't cross this! It's impossible!"

"Why?"

"There's no way to predict which part of it is going to break under my weight!"

"Well, get over it. It's tonight's training. Cross from this building to the other, that's all I'm asking."

"That's not training! That's attempted suicide! And if I say no?"

"Then you're my next meal."

"You weren't kidding when you said this would be a nightmare."

"I don't joke. Get your ass moving."

He gave me a slap on the butt and I fell forward stepping on the bridge. It made a threatening crack sound, but nothing broke. I was paralyzed for a second. This bridge didn't have anything to hang on to aside from a thin rope also stretched across the two buildings, that reached my waist level. And it was so unstable it made it look like it'd be the first one to break. The only thing I could do was step on the middle of each plank to keep the balance and pray God that it didn't break under my weight. I carefully set my foot on the next one and tapped it a few times. Then I started putting my weight on it ... it held fine. I did the same with the next one ... that broke when I stepped on it. Luckily for me the rope I was hanging on to didn't and it saved my life. I slowly pulled myself back up.

"This is impossible. I can't just go on like this for thirty meters. There has to be some other way..."

POW!

That's when I heard the gunshot. I looked down which I regretted a second after. First because I think I discovered that I was slightly acrophobic (I never thought about it during free running) and second because there was something like a violent gang fight going on down there. And when I say violent, I mean violent. Gunshots, knifes and all. I looked at the fight, completely powerless. Then the bridge started wobbling dangerously. I turned around. Levi had kicked it. He looked at me with an impatient glare.

"Stop goofing around and get moving. Do you want to spend the whole night here?"

"But there's a fight going on down there."

"So?"

"Shouldn't you do something about it?"

"I'm here to train you, not resolve a conflict between gang members. That's the cops's job."

"You can't be serious! They're gonna murder each other!"

"Not my problem."

This could not be happening. He was seriously going to let these guys to kill each other? Then again, I was kind of asking him to throw himself in the middle of a gun fight. The bridge wobbled violently once more.

"Come on! Move it."

"You're the devil." I whispered.

I closed my eyes tightly and bit my lower lip to avoid screaming my fear and frustration. I slowly stood up on the cracking planks again. I didn't know what to do anymore. I just knew that I couldn't focus on anything. My balance, the bridge, the fight, the fear... My head was spinning so fast I was afraid I would fall anytime.

'Calm down Petra. You have to calm down.' I told myself. I forced myself to look straight instead of down and gave myself a slap on the face. 'If I make a run for it, I'm dead. If I step back, I'm dead. This bridge is a death trap. Everything is crumbling as soon as I touch it. Nothing's holding...wait...'

I looked at the rope I'd been hanging on to this whole time. I'd pulled on it a lot since the beginning. It was not stable, but it hadn't let go. I gave it a few quick pulls. It was like a big elastic. Bendy but not easily broken.

'That's it! The bridge is just a big mistake. It makes the whole thing more dangerous. And...yeah, if I do this I can even stop the fight down there."

I reached for my belt. On all their uniform belts were small knifes hidden in the buckle. When I found it, I took it out and pulled out the blade. I didn't know if I could do that, but in my mind right now it was the only way to finish the training and staying alive at the same time. I placed the knife in my mouth and sent my legs over that single rope. Then, I let my body hang from the rope with only my legs while I slightly cut each of the ropes holding the planks. I took the knife back in my mouth and moved on my rope, monkey style. Once near the end of the bridge, I recut the ropes a little before moving back to the center. I put the knife away and took a deep breath. I made sure I had a good grip with my hands on the rope before unhooking my legs from it and hitting the bridge with all my weight. The ropes broke completely on each side and the planks fell down.

"LOOK OUT!" I yelled to the people down there.

I couldn't look down but I heard a couple screams and the planks crashing on the ground. Then I had to focus on the fact that I was hanging from a rope pretty far from the ground. I took a deep breath and tried to swing my body to once more hook my legs on the rope ... Which I managed to. But my arms were so tired I wasn't sure at all I had the strength to drag myself towards the other building again. My heart was beating faster than a hummingbird's and I was panting like a dog. Sweat drops were falling from my face. The adrenaline level was lowering and my strength too.

"You know kid, tonight's lesson was finding balance, not the stupidest way to die."

My eyes widened and I looked up. Levi was standing on the rope just above me, with perfect balance. He then grabbed one of my arms and pulled me up with him. Once standing on the rope, I had no choice but to hang on to him to avoid falling.

"How the hell... Can you do that?"

"Years of practice." He simply replied. "Let's finish that training."

"Huh?"

Levi forced me to turn around and make me face the other building, while still holding me by the shoulders. He got so close I could feel his chest on my back. I heard him whisper in my ear.

"Balance your weight in the sole of your feet."

"It's ... Not that easy..." I said more distracted by him than anything else.

"Start by stabilizing your waist."

My body was following his command without me even thinking about it. I didn't like it. I didn't want this guy to be touching me like this. It felt wrong. He was giving me advice to survive, after all the death threats he'd given me. It wasn't right. I was afraid. But I had no choice but to obey. In that moment, he was my light. He was my only guide to survival. He let me go.

"Now walk slowly." He instructed.

I took one step. I was trembling and I could feel my imperfect balance. I took a second one and almost fell. But Levi was behind me again.

"Again." He ordered.

I did and after three steps lost balance again. And yet again, he caught me.

"I don't understand. I'm doing everything you're telling me."

"But you're only half focused. If you keep thinking that you're gonna fall, well guess what? You'll fall. And also..."

He trailed his index from one of my shoulder to the other, touching the skin over my chest in the process. I flinched and tensed up even more.

"Make sure your pec muscles are flexed. It'll stabilize your upper body. And focus brat. You won't fall as long as I'm here."

Saying things like that was so out of character. But I had to get this exercise done. I tried to ignore him and focused on the building. I closed my eyes and imagined that my feet were a piece of metal and that I was walking on a magnet. I started walking, ignoring the drop and only looking at the objective. One step. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. And before I knew it, I stepped on the roof of the second building. But my knees gave in the second I touched the ground. I fell on them and panted again. I couldn't believe what had just happened.

"Hey don't pass out on me, kid."

I raised my head and looked at him. His face in the dark was even more mysterious than usual. A memory then flashed before my eyes. The man from two years ago was standing right there. In front of my eyes.

"Quit staring kid. It's creepy."

"Were you here? Two years ago? On top of a roof, and met a girl? She tasted like strawberries."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

No it wasn't him. It couldn't be him. There was no seduction, no falseness in his voice. No trap. It wasn't him.

"Never mind."

"You're weird. Come on. We gotta go."

"Are you taking me home?"

"To base. Four eyes wants to run some more tests on you."

"Can't it wait till tomorrow? I can't take anymore."

"No." He snapped mercilessly. "Stop complaining and move it." He started walking away.

"You're a monster." I said.

He stopped and turned around. "So you finally understand."

He din't add anything on the way back. And I think i was even more scared now.

* * *

RING RING RING! I turned off my alarm and looked at the time. Just turning around in my bed to do so was torture. My body was aching so much I could barely move. It was 12:00 pm. I tried to remember why I'd put on this alarm. I'd come back at 6:00 last night. Six hours of sleep was not enough for me to catch up. But if I'd set it, I must have had a reason. I sat up in my bed and tried to remember if I'd forgotten something. I was looking around my room distractingly when I saw the camera. That's when I remembered what I wanted to do today. I quickly dressed up and went downstairs. Amanda was in the kitchen as usual.

"Good morning, sweetie! Or good afternoon actually. Want to eat something?"

"No thanks Amanda. I'm gonna go to school. I need to see the others."

"Aren't they in class right now?"

"It's almost lunch break."

"Hold on." She said grabbing me by the back of my shirt and pulling me in the kitchen. "You're not going anywhere until you eat. Two meals a day is not enough Petra. And you have to stop working so late."

"Is there something wrong with my grades?"

"That's not what I mean, genius." She said hitting my head with her wooden spoon. "You can't sleep till twelve every single day. It's eight hours of sleep at night, no more no less."

"But I've had trouble sleeping lately." I lied.

"Then go see a doctor, okay? You've got free time today."

"Alright, I'll go after I see the others."

She smiled. "Good girl. So, eggs and bacon?"

"I'm in a more sugary mood. Pancakes, please?"

"Done."

After I finished eating. I grabbed my jacket and headed to school. I walked through the school entrance and said hi to the people who recognized me. A black haired girl that was in front of her lockers called out to me.

"Hey Petra!"

"Hi Isle. What's up?"

"So is it true that you transferred out?"

"Not really. I'm being home schooled."

"That's really cool! We'll still get to see you sometimes."

"Yeah, no problem." I didn't want to waist too much time here, although it was nice to see my classmates after an almost two week break. "Do you know where I can find Krista?"

"Same as always. You guys always eat on the roof, even when it's freakin cold. Want me to come with?"

"Thanks but I haven't been absent long enough to forget where the roof was. Nice chatting with you!"

"Same here."

I climbed the staircase, all the way to the roof and kicked the door open. Krista, Jean and Marco were sitting in a circle on the ground and Ymir was leaning against the fence. I glared at her. I slammed the door behind me. Luckily no one else was on the roof.

"Petra! What are you doing here?" Exclaimed Krista all surprised.

Jean made an 'oh crap' face. Ymir looked a bit disconcerted and Marco... still had that goofy smile of his. He stood up as I walked up to him and slapped him as hard as I could.

"Ow. What was that for?" He said rubbing his cheek.

I threw him the camera. "You really thought I wouldn't find it, did you Marco Sherlock Holmes Bott? Since when have you become a pervert?"

"Sorry, it's not like I was trying to look at you change or something. I was just interested in the way a college student living in her folks's house organized their day."

"Can you not take me for an idiot? I want a real explanation now! Why is Ymir here? You're all in on it, aren't you? Why are you guys spying on me?!"

They all looked down and Krista was the first one to speak. "We were worried about you..."

"And spying on me like peeping toms with a camera was the best option you had? Are you freakin kidding me? And just so we're clear, I'm perfectly fine!"

"Hey chillax Petra." Said Ymir. "You've been acting weird for the past week. You can't blame us for being worried."

"What do you mean, act weird?" I pretended to be surprised.

"You haven't called us or come in contact with us for the past twelve days." Stated Marco.

"Amanda told us you never went out, not even to practice shooting." Said Ymir.

"And that you sleep until 1:00pm every day." Added Krista.

"Also you never answer our texts." Finished Jean. "When we came to your house to see you this weekend, you were sleeping. At five pm!"

Damn, those were all good arguments. But I couldn't let them see me confused now.

"Okay, I've had trouble sleeping lately. I'm going to see a doctor today just for that. And so what if I didn't tell you? It's not like I was trying to hide it." I lied. "That doesn't justify you guys spying on me. What kind of friends are you?"

They all looked away. Truth is, I was more angry that they were getting so close to the danger rather than at the fact that they had been spying. I had to make sure to convince them for good.

"You know what? This doesn't make want to see you guys right now. If you do anything like that again, I'll get mad for real." I started leaving and opened the door. Before going out I turned back and added. "And Marco, don't bother checking the videos. I erased all of them. You missed me doing night work."

I slammed the door behind me, before walking out of the school and heading to the closest doctor's office.

* * *

 **School Rooftop**

She left slamming the door. Marco then smirked and threw his fists in the air.

"Yes! Got her!"

"What are you talking about man?" Said Jean. "This is a disaster. She figured it out."

"Actually she fell in the trap."

"What? How?" Said Krista, dumbfounded.

"When you're angry you make mistakes. Everyone knows that. I made sure our dear Petra was pissed off enough to let her guard down. And thanks to that, I now know for sure something's really going on."

"You had all of this planned from the beginning. You sly bastard. Way to go." Praised Ymir.

The detective boy took a look at his camera. He checked the hour that the device had been deactivated.

"Dude what are you doing?" Asked Jean.

"The camera was deactivated at 12:47am. That means Petra was still up then. And that she opened her window."

"How is that gonna help?"

"My camera was directly linked to my computer. All the footage she erased are still there. Now I know at what time of the video I should pay extra attention to."

They all looked at each other. They knew something was up. And they had to figure out what, before their friend got into real trouble.

* * *

 **AH! SO FREAKIN GOOD TO BE BACK! Thank you guys so much for being patient. I hope you've enjoyed this chapter (I know I enjoyed writing it!) Anyways, I love you all and hope you're enjoying summer (or winter depending on which side of the globe you're on. Oh and please don't forget to review! ;)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello watchers! Here's the latest, hope you enjoy it blablabla... In this chapter, the confusion starts to fade away (I hope you'll be happy, Chuzza!) and there's even a little action! (It's only the** **beginning).**

 **Also you guys (who are obviously LevixPetra fans, I suggest you go check out the story of one of my very good author friend, FeelingDreamy. It's called : A reason to survive and it's awesome. (And if you're a Ghost Hunt fan, she has another story called : Beyond the Horizon. NaruxMai forever! xD)**

 **ENJOY!**

* * *

A week. Another entire week had gone by since I last saw my friends. I guess I'd made my point with them. I was more preoccupied with my work for "them". Every night since then, Levi'd trained me, pushing me to my limit every time. Most of the sessions ended up with me passing out. I had to wear bigger clothes to hide my bruises from Amanda and Tim. All things considered, this training will probably come in very handy, that is if Levi decided he trusted me enough to take me out on 'jobs' with the others. Even if I really didn't want to see an extermination at close range. I wasn't sure I had the heart to watch without fainting. I was a professional high tech technician, not an assassin in training. But I was seriously getting annoyed by all this mystery. And so I'd made my mind up. If I was going to be stuck in this mess, then I'd figure exactly what's going on and who I was dealing with.

"Petra. Yoo hoo. You there?" Said Connie's voice.

"Huh? What?" I said turning my head.

"We've been calling out to you. For like five minutes."

I was sitting in the almost empty cafeteria of the base, with Connie and Sasha. Out of the entire bunch, they were the ones who approached me very easily. I'd gotten used to their company.

"Sorry. I'm kind of dizzy."

"The chief really doesn't go easy on you even though you're normal." Stated Sasha, while stuffing bread in her face.

"Stop calling me 'normal'. I'm human, you guys are vamps, it's as easy as that."

"And I told you, stop calling us vampires. It makes me feel weird." Said Connie while chewing on a piece of gum.

"Call yourselves whatever you want, but people with pointy canine teeth and that drink blood are gonna be called vampires. I'm not calling you angels, especially not with him in the group. Does your group even have a name?"

He sighed. "Well, yeah. We're called the Scouts."

"Seriously?" I said raising an eyebrow. "What are you guys scouting? You stay locked up all the time."

"No that's you. We scout the streets at night. Ah, I don't know! I didn't pick the name. Ask the captain."

"Forget that. Not happening."

"Then stop asking."

"Fine. You don't have to take out your frustration on me." I said.

"You're the frustrating one!"

"Will you guys give it a rest? Yelling is not good for digestion..."

"Stop thinking about food all the time!"

"Are you three done yelling? You're making my ears bleed." Said a deep threatening voice from the entrance. I turned around and saw Levi. He looked as charming as usual.

"Come with me, kid."

I stood up and followed him. "Stop calling me kid. I have a name you know."

"Yeah, what is it again?"

"Jackass." I muttered. "Where are you taking me this time? I'm already done with my daily dose of beating."

"The day I'll beat you up for real, kid, you'll be able to tell. Erwin tried using your program. It's bugging."

"That's impossible. The computer indicated perfect download and my shield didn't fail. There's no problem with it. You guys just have no clue on how to use it."

"That's your job, genius. So get it done. And trust me, if I suspected you of doing anything weird, you wouldn't be alive right now."

Levi pressed the call button and the elevator opened. We stepped inside. I sighed loudly. "And that makes the thirteenth. Not a good number."

"What are you blabbering about?"

"That's the thirteenth death threat today, captain."

"Don't think I'm joking."

"I'm starting to wonder... Do you wish you were dead captain?"

The elevator door opened. Levi stepped out without answering me. I followed him to the core where the commander, Hanji and most of the lieutenants were. She was navigating on the program from the virtual computer. There were a lot of red signals.

"Hello Petra." Said the blond man. "It seems we are having a problem with the program."

"Did you call everyone here to try and fix it, or is it for my soon to be execution if it doesn't work?" I said that clearly looking at Levi. "Can you please give me some space?"

I saw that there were cameras on the desk. It wasn't hard to guess that they were trying to test out the program by first linking it to the cameras. And of course, they hadn't figure out how to do so. I spent ten whole minutes fixing their mess (they'd managed to break the computer's protective shield), before linking the cameras to it via wi-fi.

"There, that should do it. Wanna test it out?"

"Yes please. Levi, do you mind playing guinea pig once more?"

"Tch." Was all the response he had. The Commander then handed to me a couple pictures of Levi. The pictures seemed to be pretty old. I scanned it into the computer. I made a 3-D detailed face model and then prepared the program for scan search. Hanji turned on the camera and pointed it at Levi. It took the program two seconds to identify him. I reseted everything and then turned to Levi.

"Move around. The point of a good program is to be able to capture and recognize the face even during brusk movements."

To my big surprised, he didn't say anything. He didn't even make a face or give me a death glare. I was sure I was gonna get dressed down for bossing him around like that. Levi did what he was told an moved around. The program recognize him in seconds. I properly made sure one more time that everything was clear, and that no tracking/hacking activity was present before turning to Erwin and Hanji.

"It works perfectly. You have nothing to worry about. You just don't have a clue how to make it work."

"Would you mind teaching that to some of the members here? It would be very helpful."

"I can just do it myself. Isn't that part of the deal?"

"Yes you're right. But it's also good to have an extra just in case."

'Yeah, cause you're assuming I'm gonna die.' I thought. "Alright. But if you want me to make it fast, it's gonna have to be someone who at least knows the basic of programming. Other it'll take a month to teach them."

"Don't worry, we have good candidates in mind."

'Please tell me it's not Levi.' I prayed inside.

"Armin and Thomas are very quick learners, and Oluo has worked a lot with computers in the past." Second thoughts, Levi would have been much better than the guy who'd almost murdered me. At least I won't be alone with him.

"Alright. I'll start tomorrow with them then." I said standing up.

"Don't think you'll get to skip training, kid."

"I wasn't even dreaming of it." I snapped back.

* * *

The next day (or in this case, night) I was back at the core, teaching the three boys how to make the program work. Thomas and Armin, were indeed quick to learn. Unfortunately for me, Oluo wasn't understanding anything. It was like his knowledge from computers was from twenty years ago. It took me three days to explain it to him properly and it wasn't helping that he was trying to act like Levi all the time, and it really pissed me off. As if I didn't get enough of one Levi in one day.

"Oluo, for the fiftieth time, this is how you connect the camera to the computer, and this how you link the program to it. It's really not that complicated."

"Tch. Yeah, for a geek like you maybe. Normal people don't have time to waist on stuff like that. And call me Lieutenant when you're talking to me, outcast."

I rubbed my face with my hands trying to not get pissed off. "First off, you need that stupid program, or your bosses wouldn't have asked me to download it. Second, if I'm an outcast, then you're not my superior. So I don't owe you any title. Do it again, and try not to screw up this time."

I walked towards the coffee machine and grabbed a cup. I hated that stuff but I found that it helped me stay up more than Hanji's pills. I'd started drinking it a few days ago. But it was way too bitter for my taste. I turned to Thomas and Armin.

"You guys are good. You can go."

"Really?" said Thomas with a happy smile.

"Yep. If you can make it work without me, then you pass. Get out of here so I can teach the professional whiner over there how it works. Again." I rolled my eyes at Oluo.

"Hey." Said Armin rubbing the back of his head and looking down. "Would you mind teaching me more of this? When you have time that is..."

I was kind of surprised that the supposed little genius would ask that of me. "Sure if you want to. But not today. I have to finish here with Oluo, and then I have training with the captain."

"Thanks." Said the blonde before following Thomas out of the room. I finished my coffee bottoms up before going back to my annoying 'student'.

"See, it doesn't work." Complained Oluo.

"That's because it's the wrong icon. It the one called Connecting. How's that hard to understand?" I muttered that last sentence to avoid anymore 'clever comebacks'.

'We're here for a while...' That's when I realized this was the perfect opportunity to go check things out. I looked at my watch and saw that I had about an hour left before my training. That was just great.

"You know what Oluo? I give up on you."

"Like I need your help. I'll figure it out by myself."

"I'm not letting you navigate around on the program. You're gonna mess it all up and then I'll have to clean everything. I'm tired and I need my energy for training, so I'm gonna go nap until it's time."

"Tch. Laziness is a weakness." He said before walking away, pissed off. I rolled my eyes once more before heading to Hanji's lab. I knew she never locked the door and that at this time she was usually in her office checking the last findings. I locked the door from the inside and started searching around. There was a tone of drugs, chemistry equipment and weird containers with something that looked like spiders to me. I didn't linger too much there and looked through the notes, but it was all gibberish to me. After half an hour of searching, I found myself thinking that the best place to look for was the Commander's office. Although it was probably locked. I decided to at least try. I made my way to his office without seeing anyone. As I'd predicted, it was locked.

'Maybe I can try opening it.' I took out the tiny knife from my belt buckle. The boys at my school managed to open locked door with gift cards. Maybe I could do it if I had a knife. I kneeled and tried to squeeze it in between the door and the wall.

"Petra, what are you doing?"

I lifted my head and saw Hanji in her lab vest, staring at me with curious eyes. Caught red handed, I sighed and stood up saying.

"You're the one who suggested I find things out on my own."

"Just so you know, what you're doing is not going to work."

She smiled and searched through her pocket. She tossed me a small silver object that turned out to be a key. I looked at her, completely stunned while she walked away towards her lab.

"Not my problem if you get caught." She stopped and turned around. Her face was serious. "But you better be warned. What you're gonna find in there might not please you."

I gave her a determined look. "If it's the truth, it doesn't matter if it pleases me."

She smiled again. "Then enjoy yourself."

In opened the door and directly went for the desk. It wasn't long until I came across the personal files of each Scout. But the paper seemed a little old. I grabbed one at random. It turned out to be Sasha's. Three things caught my eye on this piece of paper. The first thing was the title : Subject F102.

"I guess Hanji told me the truth. They really are the product of science. That's sick."

The second thing was the big red writing that had been stamped across the file. It said FALLEN. Like you'd say DEFECT for an object coming out of a factory. It made me want to puke. "What kind of person labels other people?"

The third thing that caught my attention was the most shocking. It said that Sasha was born in 1989.

"She doesn't look like she's 26 at all."

I looked at the next file. It belonged to Mina. Same with her, her birth year was 1990. I flipped through a couple files. Most of them were born around that time.

"Are they immortal for real or what?"

That's when I remembered Hanji's words : _I told you before, we're not supernatural. Just science freaks."_ And also that she'd said something about the making taking a very long time. Sasha looked like she was fifteen or sixteen now. She looks at least.. Ten years younger? These guys had spent ten years being used as lab rats? I didn't want to think about this now and I had limited time. I put the files away and kept searching through the drawers. That's when I found the thing I'd been looking for : the Heaven Project. There was a label 'Top Secret' it. The file was surprisingly light. I opened it and a few sheets fell out. They all had pictures clipped to them. I grabbed one.

The picture was one of a woman named Lila Reik. The name and the picture were familiar. I'd seen them in a newspaper about two years ago. She was a government employee who had gone missing along with a few other people. Her picture was crossed out with red ink. I read the paper. It said that she was a sponsor of the Heaven Project. I picked up the papers with crossed out photos. All of them had been involved in the heaven project. They were also all working for the government at first. There were three pictures that were not yet crossed out. Grisha Jaeger, Nile Dok and Kitts Woerman. The first one was apparently the genius scientist who'd managed to create the 'Angels'. The other two were apparently the ones at the head of the project. I set those aside and picked up the last sheets of paper that were clipped together. I sat down and leaned against the wall before reading.

 _ **The Heaven Project**_

 _In 1987, the City was in very bad terms with two neighboring countries. City's Army advisor Nile Dok and Councilman Kitts Woerman advised the King to let them work on an army project. The two men wished to create a special force that could protect this city against any enemy troops. Desperate, the King allowed the Heaven project to take place. Dok and Woerman had started using prisoners for their experiments with his Majesty's permission still. Doctor Grisha Jaeger was named head scientist by Dok. Then in 1990, the countries were back on good terms with the new rulers, and the King ordered the immediate stop of the project. However, it continued, sponsored by a lot of rich government workers. Not having access to prisoners anymore, they started to abduct people for their experiments. It went on for over a decade. Then in the year 2012, there was a rebellion in those hidden labs and most of the subjects escaped, most of them were still children. They came to find me and explained their situation. It took months before the King accepted to see me in private. I presented him the one who'd been the voice of the group that'd come to find me. After having explained the situation, the King decided to keep the whole fiasco a secret from the general populace, which I agreed with. We became the secret organization known as Scouts. Only the King and very high ranked army generals and Councilmen know our existence. The King put us in charge of finding the other subjects that had escaped the labs and either convert them to our side, or eliminate them if they've become a threat. The King had all the people involved in the illegal continuation of the project secretly assassinated. Today, only Dr Jaeger, Dok and Woerman are missing from that list. I am positive they aren't finished with their project although the reason is still unclear. We are still hunting down the stray ones as well as those three. The world ignores and must keep ignoring our existence. The children of the project, also known as Angels were taken in by this new organization of ours. What will happen to them after all of this remains a mystery._

 _Commander Erwin Smith, report of March 16_ _th_ _2013_

I lowered the paper and stared into space. They were working for the government. So they weren't the Mafia or anything like it. 'Wouldn't it have been simpler to tell me everything from the beginning?' I smiled and nervously laughed to myself.

"So this is your nightmare, Captain? I was honestly expecting worse." I muttered to myself. Then I wanted to take back those words. Who'd want to be kidnapped and used as a lab rat for over ten years and then wake up as a monster to the rest of the world? They probably hadn't had any contact with their families either. When you become a monster in this world, you're either hated or feared. Still, the thought that they'd keep me wondering about my situation like this really didn't go along with me. Now that I knew exactly what they were doing and who they were after. And I could really help. I was not going to spend the rest of my days downloading...

"Hold on. They work for the government. So why are they illegally downloading stuff that they should be provided with?"

I guess my only way to get answers anymore was to ask. I stood up and started putting everything back in place. But I took a good look at the pictures of the three men again. They haven't been able to track them down, but Erwin seems positive that they're still around. But why the cameras? They couldn't scan the whole city, so they already know where to look. Suddenly, I heard a key being inserted in the door. I quickly put the file away and hid under the desk. 'Crap! What I do now?'

Erwin entered the room followed by Connie and Mike.

"Are you sure Levi didn't take her with him?"

"The Captain went to go meet Kenny and his crew. I don't think he'd have taken her." Said Mike.

"Ah, that's just great." The Commander sighed. "We better find her before he comes back."

"Yes, sir." Said Connie, before starting to leave.

"No need. Petra I know you're here." Suddenly said Mike.

'And busted.' I came out from under the desk. Erwin seemed slightly surprised but then he sighed and brought his hand to his face.

"Hanji, you're hopeless. I take it you know?"

"Everything." I replied.

"How much?"

"Heaven project. Jaeger. Dok. Woerman." I simply stated.

"Connie, go change clothes and take her to Levi."

"A-are you sure Commander. He's about to take the merchandise."

"If she's come this far, she'll have to get tested anyways. Do as I say."

"Yes sir. Petra come on."

* * *

After Connie got changed in regular clothes and I'd taken off my jacket, he blindfolded me and took me out of headquarters. Then he lead me throughout the sewers until we reached apart of the city I'd never been to. I followed him to what looked like a big storehouse. He remained quiet the entire time. We entered by a broken window. Levi and five others were dressed normally. What could they be waiting for, I wondered.

"Captain." Called out Connie.

Levi's eyes widened when he saw me. "Why the hell did you bring her here?!"

"The Commander asked me to..."

"I know everything." I said cutting him off. "I know who made you guys and I know who you're looking for. If this was the nightmare you were talking about, Captain, I'm not impressed."

"You were in Erwin's office, weren't you?" He said that with an angered voice, and his death glare was even more intense than usual.

"I told you I would find out the truth and I found it."

Levi stared at me like he was about to bite my head off. His breathing was got quicker and louder. His teeth clenched and stared at me with hateful eyes. For the first time it looked like anger was taking over.

"You really are a brainless idiot. You think you understand anything?"

"Then show me, damn it!" I shouted. "I don't want to be in the dark anymore! Make me understand what you mean!"

"Fine then. Don't say I didn't warn you kid."

He moved faster than my eyes could. I suddenly received a punch in the stomach, so hard that it cut of my breath and sent me flying back against the wall. Before I even had the chance to inhale some air, he grabbed me with one hand under the chin and with tremendous force, slammed the back of my head on the wall as well. My vision got blurry and an intense headache took over me. I felt like my skull had been smashed into little pieces. I fell on my knees holding my skull. But Levi didn't stop there. He grabbed me by the shirt, forced me up to my feet and for the third time threw me against the wall. Except this time he kept me up. I could only see blurry things but I felt him pull part of my shirt away from my neck... before his fangs pierced through my skin. The pain I'd felt the first time I got bitten was nothing compared to what I was feeling right now. My mouth was wide open. I wanted to scream from the top of my lungs, but nothing came out except suffocating breaths. It was like my vocal cords had been cut off. An ocean of tears was coming out of my eyes. The pain got more and more intense every time he sucked blood.

"Le...Le...Levi..." Was all I managed to say, when I tried begging.

I'd lost all contact with my body. I didn't even know if I was physically trying to defend myself. I could just hear myself grunt, whimper and making strangled noises. I also felt myself drooling. It was like his fangs were annealed blades just out of the embers. Every time he budged even a little, the burn intensified and spread throughout my body.

"Stop...Please, stop..."

That's the moment he chose to sink the other half of his fangs in my neck. I couldn't hold back an intense scream this time. My own voice was unknown to me. Then I heard a metal door opening and people walking in.

"Well, well Levi. Having a little snack just before business? Is that reasonable?" Said one of the newcomers.

Levi pulled his fangs out of my flesh in one quick move. I grunted once more and fell on all four when he dropped me. My spinning so much, I thought I was going to faint any second now. But I didn't and it only made me feel like I was going insane. Levi still had my blood dripping from his chin. He gave the newcomer his usual bored look.

"Why do you give a shit? It's not like it's your business anyways, Kenny."

"Hmpf. True that."

"You have the merchandise?"

"Everything you ordered. Reiner, Bertolt."

A tall guy with brown hair and a gorilla sized blond carried two wooden boxes towards the group. Gunther opened them up.

"You've got fifty knifes and thirty guns in the big one. There are four hundred boxes of munitions in the second one. With that you should be good for quite a while."

"Good." Levi took a small envelope out of his jacket and threw it at the man. "Now get lost."

"You mind sharing? I'm a little hungry and you haven't even finished half. She's still conscious."

Levi grabbed me by the arm and pulled me up again. "Be my guest."

He said to the man before pushing me towards him. The man caught me before I fell. My voice was paralyzed and my body was pretty much drained of strength. Did he really want to kill me? The shock made me even more powerless.

"Don't finish her. I'm still starving." Added Levi.

"Don't worry. I'll only take a sip. Thanks for the drink."

The man pulled my hair to expose my neck to him. I felt his tongue slide from my clavicle up to my chin. I was gonna get bitten again? Without budging? Not again. I was going through that again. Ever. I wouldn't let one person kill me after finally learning the truth. Certainly not a random stranger. I felt his fangs move on my skin, searching for the most sensitive spot.

"Keep blushing like that, sweetheart. It'll make your death sweeter for you and a lot more enjoyable for me."

He opened his mouth to bite me. Everything happened by pure survival instinct. My hand moved on it's own, grabbed the small knife of my buckled and stabbed the vampire in the eye. He screamed in pain and let go of me. I fell to the ground.

"You little bitch!" He walked closer to me, holding his left eye with his hand. Before he could kick me, I raised my arm again and stabbed him in the foot, leaving the blade there this time. I somehow manage to get up and back off. But my head was pounding like a drum and my legs were shaking more than a newborn lamb's. I stared at the man without blinking and somehow holding myself up.

"Had enough?" Asked Levi to the man named Kenny. "Sorry about that. the ones who don't fight back are boring. Looks like I'll finish up by myself."

Somehow I knew that this sentence indicated that the struggle was over. I really felt like death had a good grip one me. My legs gave in and I fell on the ground once more. I was now aloud to pass out which I did, cursing the Scout's captain.

'If I wake up, you're dead Levi.'

* * *

 **You guys up for some more action or what? Next chapter = first mission out! Hope you're enjoying your summer and TRIPLE PLEASE, REVIEW! ;)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey my readers! Here's the next chapter! First mission out for Petra plus a little bonus of Levi, acting! Can't wait to hear what you think! Please enjoy and double please review! ;)**

* * *

Beep. Beep. Beep.

A familiar beep sound slowly made it's way into my sleep trance. I couldn't tell if it was my alarm or Hanji's computers and monitoring machines. In any case, it was annoying. It was trying to pull me out of my comfort zone. If I woke up, I would feel the pain again. The bump on the back of my head, my aching ribs, the burn of the bite mark on my neck... And I really didn't want to. I'd feel scared too. And I didn't want that. But the noise was so annoying. I wanted it to shut up and quickly. Each beep sounded louder than the other until it became unbearable. And I slowly opened my eyes. My vision, blurry at first, slowly clarified. I was under a surgery lamp.

"Oh no. Shit! No!" I cursed. Just doing that made my brain hurt. "Ow."

"You really shouldn't move so quickly" Said Hanji's voice.

I kept my eyes on the lamp. Not because I couldn't move my head but I just didn't want to.

"Can you please turn off this beep? It's annoying the hell out of me and driving me insane!" I said maybe a little too loud.

"Sorry, but I need to keep monitoring you. Levi's not a positive so you can't get a virus, but we can rule out infection yet. Or post-traumatic shock." She added very quietly.

I felt like crying as well. My own breathing was deep and fast. I was obviously on the verge of freaking out. I was the only thing keeping myself from looking at Hanji. And my one and the only reason I could have for this. I wanted to believe this was all unreal. If I looked at Hanji, I knew it would be true for real.

"He was right. He's been right since the beginning. It's a nightmare. And now I'm stuck in it."

"I don't know what to say Petra. Even I didn't think he'd ever go this far. And to think Erwin was okay with it. If you want to cry it's okay. I won't judge."

"Cry? How's that gonna help? He's gonna come in here saying I told you so. I can't bear that. I'd rather have him suck me dry." I finally turned my head and looked at her. "Tell me the truth. Was he trying to kill me for real this time?"

She gave me a determined look. "No. Trust me, if he wanted to kill you, you'd be dead. My guess is he was trying to keep you as far away as possible from the nightmare in question."

He had a very strange way of doing things. Levi, the vampire. Cruel, sadistic, unemotional, mean... I thought what I was going through with him was a nightmare. This was a whole new scale. He was a real devil. And he could break anyone. That thought irritated me.

"How long was I passed out?"

"Are you sure you want to know?"

"Hanji." I said giving an I-won't-ask-again look.

"22 hours."

"What? I wasn't home for an entire day? I have to go home."

"Na-ha. Not happening until you can walk properly. We'll help you find an excuse but for now, you don't have a choice. Sit up."

I did and Hanji ran a couple quick tests on me. My mind was in a blank state the whole time. No thoughts going through. Only one image. The Captain of the secret organization that was cleaning up the mess of a couple of mad people. Also one sentence.

" _You're weak."_ Said his voice.

Then I started trembling with a mixture of fear and anger this time. It was a fact. I was an insect in this reality. I couldn't defend myself, and I couldn't help others.

"Petra Ral, at the mercy of a vampire world. Sounds like the title of a bad movie." I said.

Hanji seemed to feel too sorry for me to be her usual self. She wasn't even trying to place any wisecracks in the conversation.

"Have I killed the mood?" I asked while she checked

"Actually, I think everyone except Erwin is... shocked." She wrote something down on her notepad. "I think you should walk around a bit. Lean on me at first and whenever you feel okay, try walking alone."

I did as I was told. My held spun like hell when I stood. Hanji helped me walked around the room until I suddenly asked.

"Hanji, take me to Levi. I have to see him."

She raised her eyebrows. "That's surprising. I didn't think you'd want to."

"I don't want to at all. I have to."

"But why? Why are you forcing yourself?"

"I have to find out once and for all that I have the stomach for this. If I puke or run away when I see him, it probably means you're gonna have to keep me locked up for the rest of my life."

Hanji gave me another your-funeral-anyways look before helping me walk out of the room. While we walked in the hallway, she took out a cell phone and dialed.

"Hey Eld. Can you tell me where Levi is right now? … Okay thanks."

She hung up. We both stayed quiet on the way. I was more than a little worried about my what my reaction was going to be. I didn't even know what to think of him anymore. None the less I had to know if I could live in this reality. Because if I couldn't I would probably die. We walked all the way to the gym and before Hanji could pull the door open, a blond boy pushed it and stepped out.

"Oh sorry." Said Thomas when he nearly bumped into us. "Petra? I wasn't expecting you to be walking around so soon."

"I'm still wondering myself." I replied.

"Thomas, do you know where everyone is?" Asked Hanji.

"The Captain and the Commander are supervising training, so pretty much everyone's in here. Maybe it's not a good idea for her to go. You know shock and stuff..."

"She's the one who wants to."

"Come on, Lieutenant. She looks like she's about to pass out!" Urged the young man.

"Thanks Thomas, but I have to figure something out." I said. "Let's go Hanji."

Thomas sighed and opened the door for us. Hanji helped me in. All the members were gathered around the training mat where two of them (Mina and Hannah) were practicing some acrobatic fighting or whatever that ninja stuff was called. Erwin and Levi standing and watching while the others were sitting on the ground. When we got close enough, Hanji coughed. Everyone without exception looked at us. Levi and Erwin turned around. The Captain's eyes were murderous. They screamed 'I'd do it all over again until you understand'.

"Oh, you're here?" He said.

Leaving Hanji where she was, I took my arm off of her shoulder and quickly walked towards him, not knowing what I was doing. Until I came very close to him. While I was still approaching, he asked.

"Got something to say kid?"

That's when I raised my fist and punched him in the face as hard as I could. He didn't even try to dodge it and took it all in the nose. Everyone stared in awe. When he turned his face back to me his nose was bleeding. Whatever was containing my anger unlocked and I felt my entire body boil.

"That's for biting me, you creepy perverted devil!" I shouted. "You've made your point! You were right. This is a nightmare. But you know what, it's also freakin' reality. So I'm gonna live it. It's a mess, complete chaos. So guess what? I'm gonna help you fix it. I've got the skills. So you're gonna have to deal with it, Captain."

The room was quiet for a long time. Levi stared at me with the same look as usual, except this time he had a little blood dripping from his nose. Like a hawk staring at a mice. Several seconds passed before he finally wiped the blood off his face and one corner of his lips turned into a semi-smirk.

"You pass."

"What?"

"Took you long enough to show us you actually had a stomach."

"Excuse me?" I replied. "I'm super confused."

"The real point of yesterday was to test your capacity to handle tough situations." Said Erwin. "You didn't throw up and you even punched Levi. I'd say you have more guts than anyone here. I'm sorry for putting you through something like that."

It took me a while to digest the information. "Speaking of last night, you're gonna have to tell me what the whole illegal weapon dealing was all about."

"As you've found out, we work for the government. But we also hunt something that's not suppose to exist. So we can't have anything tying us to the government. They can't supply us with anything. And we can't be confused with the regular army, so we can't even use our last names here. Our only proof of relation with them, is a signed contract that I have in my possession."

"So to get weapons, gear or developed programs, you have to obtain them illegally. Okay I get it. Aren't you afraid you'll get caught at some point?"

"Tch. As if." said Oluo.

I rolled my eyes not wanting to play this game anymore. That's when my head started spinning, so much that I lost balance and tumbled. Hanji caught me just in time.

"Okay. You should rest a bit longer."

"No way. I have to get home. Tim and Amanda are probably worried as hell."

"We'll take you back in the morning. For now, rest kid. That's an order."

'What kind of excuse was I going to come up with this time?'

* * *

Levi pushed the bell button on my door. Both of us where in casual clothes. Sasha had lend me some clothes they were a bit too big but nothing noticeable.

"Levi, this is a bad idea. Are you sure you want them to see you?"

"Just do what I told you kid."

The door opened in a blast and Amanda, Myra and Alec. They all had worried sick faces. The kids threw themselves in my arms and I hugged them.

"You guys missed me that much? I was only gone for a day."

"Petra! Where in the world have you been?" Said Amanda.

"What do you mean? I was in Sina."

"What the hell were you doing there."

"I left you a note remember? I got an urgent call from the director early in the morning yesterday, saying he wanted me to meet with the other students of the university. My phone wasn't charged either so I left it here but I called you a lot of times from a telephone booth. You never answered."

"I didn't find any note. Where was it?"

"I left it on my desk. Myra can you go get it?"

"Yeah, sure." The girl ran up the stairs to go get a note that I'd written an hour ago and that one of the Scouts had sneaked into my room.

"I'm really sorry. You were waiting for me all this time?"

"We even called the police."

"You didn't tell the guys did you?"

"Of course I did. If anyone knows where you are it's them." She leaned against the door a took a deep breath. "Anyhow, the important thing is that you're alright. Who is this?"

"My name is Levi Ackerman ma'am. I came here to apologize for all of this. Technically your daughter is still minor so we should have called you first."

"Oh, are you a member of the faculty?"

"Fifth year student. I was part of the group going over the program. The principal thought it'd be a good idea for someone who follows the program outside to share her thoughts. Truth be told, he probably wanted to show off the genius student."

I suddenly blushed. A compliment coming from him even though it was fake felt really embarrassing but, really good at the same time. I turned my head away.

Amanda got back on her two feet and smiled. "Well, please to meet you Levi. I'm Amanda Kiler, Petra's foster mom." She said, holding out her hand.

Levi grabbed it and shook it. "Please to meet you. And again we present our apologies for what happened."

Myra ran back into the room. "Mom, I found it. It was under her desk. It probably fell." She looked up and saw Levi. "Are you Petra's boyfriend? Cause you have competition."

"Myra!" Amanda and I said in unison. My face turned crimson.

Levi chuckled. To my big surprise, knelt down and smiled at Myra. "Don't worry about that. Your sister is way too good for me."

I was stunned. "I don't think a handsome young man like you has anything to worry about." Amanda, smiled. "I'm sorry about that. Myra, don't ask embarrassing questions like that."

"It's not embarrassing if it's the truth right?" She said with a mischievous smile before running back inside the house.

Amanda then turned to us again. "Sorry about that. Petra, I'm gonna call Timothy to tell him you're all right. Thank you so much for bringing her home, Levi. I really appreciate it."

"Your very welcome, Mrs. Kile. Well Petra, be careful. Your head might still hurt for a bit. I'll see you around."

He started leaving. "Levi, wait." I said catching up to him at the end of the driveway. He stopped and stared at me.

"Thank you." I whispered. "You really saved me. I didn't know you were such a great actor."

"I owed you. I'm the one that put you out. You get tonight off. Rest up. Three days from now, we'll take you out."

"Seriously? But..."

"Details later. First off, shake my hand if you don't want your siblings that are watching us by your living room window to start thinking that I seriously am your love interest."

"Goodbye Levi. Thanks for taking me home."

"Your welcome. See you."

I didn't wait for him to disappear and ran back inside the house, shutting the door behind me and letting out a big sigh. I went to the kitchen where Myra and Alec were innocently eating their lunch and Amanda hung up her phone.

"I know what you're thinking, you little devils. Get it out of your heads. And Myra. What was that about me having more candidates?"

"Well, Jean and Marco, Da-ha. They always hang out with you."

"Okay, first off, gross. Second, you forgot Ymir and Krista. They're with us too. Thirdly, Jean has a crush on Krista and Marco is in love with his mystery."

"Krista's prettier but you have more spark."

"What girly magazine have you been reading? Their not interested in me that way."

"She might be right you know." Said Amanda. "Although that Levi boy doesn't seem too bad either. Very charming."

"Pff. Yeah. When he's not beating me to a bloody pulp." I muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing. Did you call Tim?"

"Yes. And the police to tell them to stop the search. I'm sorry, I guess this whole thing is my fault. You should call Ymir and everyone else, they've also been looking for you."

"No way. You do it."

"Petra you haven't seen them since last week. What happened between you?"

"They did something I didn't appreciate and I said I wasn't talking to them for a while."

"Don't you think a week is a while? Come on. You know they're worried."

"Fine."

I rolled my eyes and grabbed the phone from her hands. I dialed Marco's number. It rang once. Twice.

"Hello?"

"Hey Marco, it's Petra. I called to tell you that I wasn't kidnapped, I was in Sina for a school conference and Amanda didn't see my note."

"Oh that's great! I'm glad you're all right."

"Tell the others, okay? I'm hanging up."

"Wait wait wait, Petra! I'm really sorry about the other day. I really wasn't trying to peep on you."

"It's not the problem Marco. Bye."

I hung up. I had to keep them thinking that I was angry so they'd stay away from me. But I knew Marco wasn't one to quit that easily. I had to be careful.

* * *

Three nights later, I was in the streets of Maria. I'd caught a report of a murder on the police radio frequency in Maria and Levi had decided to finally 'take me out' with a small team. In total we were five. Levi, Sasha, Mikasa, Franz and me of course. I had taken six hours of shooting class in two nights. And when I say shooting I mean, with a gun. We were hiding in a street nearby. Two cops were here. One was waiting in the car while the other had gone inside the reported house which looked inhabitable. He came out looking way pale and joined the other in the car. It looked like they were calling for reinforcement.

"Go." Said Levi.

Mikasa and Sasha dashed towards the house and entered quick and discreetly through the broken window without making a sound.

"How the hell..." I muttered.

"Comes with training." Replied Levi.

"Why did you decide to take me on this mission? I'm good with high tech and computers but I learned to shoot a day ago and my self-defense is still as crappy as ever."

"I need you for your hacking skills. If this murder is what I think it is, then we're gonna catch the son of a bitch who did that and you're gonna look through his stuff. That and also to get your feet wet."

"Captain." Said Franz. "The cops are leaving."

"What? Shouldn't they stay here when waiting for reinforcements."

"They don't give a damn. The person who died is probably a low-life. Their boss doesn't seem to like waisting time on people from the slums." Stated Levi.

"You're not serious."

"Welcome to the real world kid. Not everyone's nice and smiling."

"Yeah, but not everyone is an asshole because they have better situations."

"Enough small talk. We're joining the girls."

We went inside the house. Mikasa called us from upstairs. We went in what looked like a bedroom with a cardboard instead of a bed. A woman was on the floor in a pool of blood. The second I noticed that, the scent of blood caught my sense of smell. I felt nauseous and stepped back. Levi approached the body. Sasha was on all four, sniffing it's neck. The Captain kneeled down.

"Talk to me, Sasha." He ordered.

"Definitely one of us, cap. She's drained. See here, her neck was slashed with a blade to conceal the bite mark, but the black veins prove that it was a positive."

"Anything else."

She smelled the victim before standing up and going around the room. "Male. Was here less than thirty minutes ago." She kneeled down again and grabbed something from the ground. "Cement dust. He's at the old construction site."

Levi stood up. "Okay. Franz, you get rid of the S-V and join us when you're done. The rest we're going hunting."

The four of us went back to the car and Levi drove us to an old construction site. It had been interrupted because the owner went bankrupt. Therefore, it was used as a good hideout for the homeless people of Maria. We stepped out and followed Sasha.

"He's definitely here. But there are a lot of normal people too."

"Doesn't matter." Said Mikasa. "No one is going to call the cops here."

"How can you tell if he's here? This place has five unfinished buildings, it's gigantic."

"Exactly. They're all unfinished, door and windowless. And the scent of one of us stands out a lot from normal human scents." She sniffed the air once more. "There."

We entered the building. It did smell like cement dust, a lot. But aside from that and an awful fresh paint spray smell, nothing seemed abnormal. All the walls inside I looked around, but It was so dark that I couldn't see anything.

"It's so dark in here. Don't we have a flashlight or ….wow." I took a step back when Levi looked at me. His eyes were glowing yellow. "Right I forgot about that."

"Stay close to me, kid." He said looking around.

"Yeah."

"Nothing here. Next floor."

We went up the unfinished elevator cage (the staircase had been left unfinished). The second floor was an exact copy of the first one. They hadn't even start building the walls to make the apartments. It was a big open space. All the walls were tagged, piles of junk were everywhere. It was obvious more than one person was living here was living here. Under a cover close to the wall, there was something glowing. I lifted it and found a computer.

"Levi, look..."

"MOVE!" Shouted Mikasa.

I didn't even think about what was happening, I threw myself out of the way. Something fell down from the ceiling and landed exactly where I'd been standing. I couldn't see the guy but the glow of a thin blade caught my eye.

"That's mine." Said a masculine voice, followed by a hiss.

POW! A gunshot was fired by Mikasa, but the guy dodged and disappeared. To my eyes anywhere.

"Where did he go?" I asked.

Then an arm grabbed me around the neck and pulled me back. "Nobody move or you're gonna have another body on your conscious."

I could see three pairs of eyes staring at us in the dark. I could feel two thin blades on my neck, like he was pressing an open pair of scissors on it. Then I heard something click next to my head. The guy hadn't even noticed that Levi had disappeared and was now pointing a gun at on the side of his head.

"Idiot." He said before pulling the trigger, shooting him at point blank.

POW! The vampire's lifeless body fell on the ground. I wasn't sure of what had just happened.

"You okay kid?"

"There's another one. There was another pair of eyes staring." I said.

"But I don't smell anything."

That's when I saw it approaching discreetly behind Sasha. Reflex made my body reach out to my belt and throw one of my knives. The vampire let out a strangled noise, before Sasha turned around and shot him. My only target were the eyes so I imagined I must have touched him near the face. Point was he was dead. Before I could even think about digesting that fact, Levi called me out.

"Petra, come check the computer. Check anything you can that can be used to communicate. Find out if there are any of these names on this list."

He said that giving me a USB key. I plugged it in, hacked into the system a bit. It turned out the guy had two email, a Facebook and a Twitter account. I crossed reference with all the names but none showed up.

"Sorry, nothing on this."

"Okay."

He grabbed the computer and threw it out the window. It crashed on the ground. I didn't even bother to ask. It was clear he didn't want any other strays to come check it out. He grabbed me by the arm and dragged me out quickly. While walking back to the car, I felt something weird on my neck. I touched it with my hand and looked at it. It was warm and thick and smelled like iron. It was the blood that had splashed from the guy that Levi had shot. I suddenly felt really sick and leaned on the iron fence of the entrance. The notion that someone had died this close to me caught up with me.

"Are you alright Petra?" asked Sasha.

"I'm sorry."

I turned around and puked my guts out. I have to say, I felt much better having out. Levi gave me a tissue and I wiped my face.

"Looks like I don't have as much gut as you thought."

"Don't be stupid. If you don't puke when you see death for the first time then you're either a psychopath, apathetic or you have an excessive amount of self-control. You good enough to ride back or do you want to wait?"

"No I'm okay, don't worry. Feels better when it's out anyways."

"No kidding."

* * *

I went back with them to HQ to sign the mission report. Levi had finally trusted me with the location of the base. It was the underground part of a luxurious hotel called " _El Grande_ " that was used to host foreign diplomats that were here for a couple days or so. And it was in Sina. My head didn't stop spinning and I was wondering if I'd puke again. After I signed the report, Levi walked me to the way out.

"I'm here to tell you one thing kid. Just because I'm going easier on you now doesn't mean the rules don't apply."

"If I talk, you kill me. I get it."

"How're you feeling?"

"I saw someone die for the first time. I'm gonna have to digest that."

"You're doing pretty good compare to the brats at first. If you puke again later tonight, it's normal."

"Thanks for the heads up. Oh yeah. I wanted to ask. Why the black nail polish?"

Levi took off his glove and showed me the back of his hand. His nails were indeed dark. Then short claws came out. I took a step back.

"Okay."

"It's just in case another vampire happens to see your hand. If they know you're a human, they'll attack you first."

"Can't they tell by my eyes?"

"No. We can't see other glowing eyes in the dark. That's the weakness of being able to see in the dark." He explained.

"I see. It's kind of weird to have you answer a question so easily."

He rolled his eyes. "Tch. Get out of here kid. And take this, so the boogyman doesn't scare you." He said without a hint of joking in his voice.

He tossed me a little cylinder-shaped flashlight before walking away. I shook my head before I turned around and walked out. To leave the base we had to take an underground tunnel that of course led to the sewers and get out wherever you wanted from there. I took the usual way. The fastest way to get back home was to get out of the sewers close the metro station. I did and made sure no one was around before getting out of the stinky tunnels.

"Ha, finally out. That really didn't help my nausea."

I was about to start thinking about tonight again, when I heard a small whimper. I raised my head and turned on the flashlight. A young not yet fully grown golden retriever. He was sitting in the street like he'd been waiting for me. It was Orion, the pup Jean was training currently training.

"Oh no." I muttered.

* * *

 **Impatient? I hope so. Next chapter is funny and the plot is advancing! So keep following! ;) Please review!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey guys! I am so sorry for the long delay. I have no excuse! I beg you to forgive me and hope with all my heart that you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

I raised my head and turned on the flashlight. A young not yet fully grown golden retriever. He was sitting in the street like he was been waiting for me. It was Orion, the pup Jean was currently training.

"Oh no." I muttered.

I looked around and waited, without moving. But nothing happened. I closed back the manhole and walked over to the dog. I petted him on the head and he licked my hands while making happy whimpering sounds. I looked around once more and hesitated before calling out.

"Jean! Are you here? If you are show yourself."

Nothing moved and nothing happened. The street was still empty aside from Orion and I. This was stressing me out.

"Why are you here alone boy? Huh? Where's Jean?" I said. 'Why am I talking to a dog? Hold on. He should react whenever I say Jean's name. Unless...'

Jean was an extremely gifted trainer despite being so young and I'd seen him do wonders. And it's not like Orion would just run away from him to find me. This couldn't be a coincidence. They'd send him here. Even I couldn't figure out how the dog had tracked me here.

"Hold it. If that was the case, then they'd either be here or..."

I looked at the dog's collar. Nothing on the outside but once I flipped it, I saw a very tiny device taped to it. How the hell did Marco get his hands on a tracking device? Maybe it was a fake, to force me to go confess to them. No way in hell was I falling for that. But knowing Marco, there must have been something more. They'd manage to find which way I go when I disappear, but from here on, they couldn't possibly know where I'd gone. They're was a chance that they'd think I was taking the subway. I sighed before standing up and checking my watch. 5:08am. I had time

"Come on, boy. Let's take you back to Jean."

The dog followed me as I started heading towards Jean's house. He lived about 30 minutes away from my house on foot. While walking, I thought of my friends. If they kept nosing around like this, they'll get in trouble. If they actually managed to find the Scouts … I know the chances of letting them live was slim. Very slim.

"Damn it." I let out.

We walked through the empty streets until we reached Jean's house. I walked up the door and knocked. Surprisingly (or not), Jean opened the door. He was fully awakened and looked very nervous.

"Petra? What are you doing out here so early?"

"You tell me. Why are you still fully dressed? And why was your dog waiting for me at the metro station?"

He opened his mouth to answer but nothing came out. It confirmed what I was thinking. I frowned and gave him a death glare.

"Where is he?"

"W-who are you talking about?"

"You really suck at lying Jean." I said before pushing him aside and heading towards his room. As expected, Marco was sitting on the ground his computer on his lap. And as usual, seeing me didn't seem to bother him. I'd planned to lash out at him, but nothing came to mind. I dropped the tracking device and stepped on it. It got crushed. I noticed that this time, Marco wasn't giving me his goofy smile. He looked... worried. I gave him the most serious look I had.

"I guess you found Orion."

"Did you think he'd follow me in the metro? Listen up you guys. I have secrets that I don't want to share with you. So why don't you leave me alone? I'll tell you about it when I feel like it."

"We all know that's not true." Said Jean.

"You want some truth?" I said pissed off. "Fine. If I find you guys spying on me again, I'm calling the cops."

I got up and left, angry and frustrated. Who threatens to call the cops on their friends? Then again I didn't have a choice. I knew I had a risk of losing them if I kept pushing them away like that, but that was far more preferable than see them get killed by the people I worked for. That's when I heard footsteps running behind me. 'Stalker' was the first thing that came to mind. I waited for the person to get closer, before turning around and grabbing their hand before they could grab me. Except that as a fellow reflex, I'd taken out one of my small knives and placed it under their throat.

"Woah there! Relax, it's me!"

"Jean? Don't scare me like that, I could've killed you."

"Yeah, no shit. Why do you have a knife?" He asked completely shocked.

I quickly changed the subject, while quickly putting away my weapon. "What do you want?"

"What do I want? It's 5:30am, idiot! I'm not letting a girl walk home alone. What kind of jerk does that?"

"Oh." I said a little surprised. "Thanks."

Jean walked me home and we didn't talk the entire way. Once in front of my house, I turned to him.

"Thanks for walking me. I'll see you later."

"You know you can't keep lying to us like that."

"I'm keeping things I want to myself that's all. I'll tell you guys about it when it's over."

"Yeah, when will that be?" He asked, sounding angry.

"Not for a while. Good night." I started walking up the outdoor stairs and turned back to him one more time. "I wasn't joking about the cops. Tell that to Marco and the girls."

He nodded and started walking away. I waited for him to completely disappear before I went around the house and climbed back up to my room.

* * *

"Come again?"

Levi was sitting at the desk in his office, his feet on the table and putting together a bunch of guns and cleaning knifes.

"We're gonna bully some people around tonight." Said Levi, charging his gun.

"I heard you the first time!" I snapped, annoyed. "Can you clarify?"

"Remember the list of names I gave you? Can you guess what they are?"

"Names of people involved in the Heaven project?" I tried.

"Close." He continued, while putting back together another gun. "They're aliases used before by Jaeger, Dok and Woerman."

"There's over forty of them. They must have been into criminal activities a lot."

"What do you think? They were making monsters with stuff only obtained on the black market."

"And you're telling me this because you're taking me. Who else is coming?"

"Just us. No one else is needed. We're just gonna have a talk with a couple of legal crooks."

"Legal crooks?"

"Plastic surgeons. It's probable that the bastards changed their faces."

"Why do you call them crooks?"

"What do you call people who get paid to deform the faces of criminals and help him hide? These old geezers probably got paid ten times their usual fee for this job."

"You're only now looking into that lead?" I asked.

"Of course not, stupid. Every week we interrogate at least four of them. We're leaving in an hour. You can join the brats for practice until then."

"Can? Are you giving me an option?" I said raising an eyebrow.

"Why, do you have something else in mind?"

I swear I wasn't thinking anything weird. "Well, a cup of coffee and resting would be good for me. I still don't sleep well and I've completely lost my regular rhythm."

"Move out then."

"Huh?"

"Move out of your folks place and they'll stop asking questions about your sleep time."

"I can't. Actually I don't want to."

"Your call, kid."

I made my way to the door and grabbed the handle to open it. But I froze. 'I should tell him. No I have to tell him. If the guys get caught, he'll massacre them before I even have a chance to explain. I have to tell him and beg him to leave them alone.' My hand started trembling. I turned to look at the Captain and took a deep breath. Levi who was going over some papers looked up.

"Something you want to tell me?"

"Actually, yeah. Two things." I was going to say it. I had to. But this is what came out of my mouth. "How's your nose?"

He raised an eyebrow. I swallowed. "Takes more than a little girl's punch to hurt me kid. I barely felt that. What's the second thing?"

'Come on Petra, say it. "Do you want some coffee?" 'Damn it!'

"I don't drink that crap. Tastes like dirty socks."

"Would it kill you to say no thanks?" I muttered while turning back and opening the door.

"I wouldn't say no to a cup of black tea though."

I gave him a surprised look. So he was a tea person. And one more thing to add to my list of 'stuff I didn't know about Levi. "Comin' up, Captain." I don't know why, but I kind of felt relieved. As I walked in the hallway, I rubbed the bite mark with one hand. Ever since last night, it had started itching like crazy. I tried everything, but got no result. And it was starting to burn. That was annoying. I decided to drop by Hanji's lab before bringing the tea. I pushed the door open. As usual the crazy scientist vampire was on her computer going over some files.

"Hello, my dear normal friend. I was just checking Sasha's files. She hasn't had any spasms since you gave your blood. And that is good."

"If she needs more just let me know."

"For now it's fine. It's a kind sacrifice your making for us, artificial leeches."

"You're people like everyone else Hanji."

"Did you want something?"

"Yeah. The bite mark from Levi, it's super itchy, it's driving me nuts. Do you have anything for it?"

She snickered. "Yeah, that can happen on sensitive skin. It's gonna burn more and more. I don't have anything but Levi does."

I frowned. "What are you hiding? Come on spill."

"Just ask him and you'll see."

"No way. You tell me first." The crazy scientist stood up and came closer to me to whisper something in my ear. I blushed a second after I heard her speak.

"No way! No way in hell! You hear me? I'd rather keep the sting, thank you."

"Suit yourself." She said, shrugging her shoulders.

* * *

A couple of hours later, Levi and I were back from our job. We'd come back empty handed, or so thought the Scouts' captain. It was true that the none of the name I got from the plastic surgeons's computers matched the aliases of the three heads of the Heaven project. But I'd also downloaded the pictures of the new faces the doctors had given to their patients in the last three years as well as the names they had given. It might come in handy. The thing that was annoying me right now, was the burn of the bite mark. Hanji was right, it was getting more intense and fast. I decided to ignore it and went to download all the new data on the computers. But it was hard to ignore. I was constantly scratching the mark. It started hurting so bad I ended up smacking my fist on the desk.

"Damn it!"

"You okay there Petra?" Said a voice behind me.

"Oh, yeah. Hi Connie."

"You sure? It smells like blood."

"I'm fine. I just scratched a mosquito bite."

"Mosquito bites? In winter? Really? Is that the best you can come up with. Just admit the bite is itching."

"Yeah and it's driving me crazy."

"You should go tell the cap..."

"HELL NO! And if you tell him, I will murder you."

"So Hanji told you? Guess I wouldn't like that to be done to me either. But if it hurts too much..."

"I said no! Forget it."

"All right. I wanted to ask if you wanted to train with us tomorrow instead of the Captain. We won't beat you up as much."

"As much? Gee thanks. But sure, why not?"

He smiled. "Sweet! Can't wait. See ya tomorrow then."

Why was he so happy at the idea of beating me up?

* * *

Once back at my house around 5:30am, showered, teeth brushed and in my pajamas, I lay down in my bed. But I was far from asleep. The burn was ten times worse than a couple hours ago. I kept scratching it, my teeth clenched and sweating. I was curled up and all my muscles were tensed up. I was even biting on my pillow's cover. I was this close to crying, when suddenly...

KNOCK. KNOCK.

I sprang up and walked over to my window, I opened the curtains. Levi was standing on the edge of my window. Again. I opened it and he jumped in landing as quietly as a cat.

"I swear, kid, I'm gonna start thinking that you're a complete masochist."

"What?"

"If it hurts why didn't you say so?"

'Damn you Hanji!' "W-what are you talking about?"

He rolled his eyes and pocked the mark. I flinched in pain.

"Hanji's not stupid enough to lie to me. Don't play dumb. Why didn't you ask?"

"Excuse me? I was not asking you to l..." I couldn't even finish my sentence. Just saying it was making my face tomato red.

"So you were just going to wait until it drove you crazy to say something?"

"I was gonna suck it up!"

"Tch. Idiot. Come here."

Levi grabbed my arm and pulled me towards my bed. He sat down on the edge and forced me to sit next to him but with my back facing him. Guess I wasn't getting choice. But at the same time I wanted nothing more than that burn to go away. Thank god, no one was here to see it. My face was tomato red just at the thought. Levi pulled my pajama's shirt away from my neck to uncover the mark. I felt his nose on my skin. And then he placed his free hand in front of my mouth. I grabbed it and pulled it down.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

"You need me to describe it to you? Hold still. You scratched it so much the burn has spread on your shoulder."

I stopped resisting and he place his hand back in front of my mouth. I understood why a second later. His tongue trailed over the bite mark and instantly relieved me with a cold sensation. It was so relieving that I would have let out a moan if he hadn't been blocking my mouth. Every time I felt his tongue on my skin, my body would automatically react to the sensation of relief and I couldn't stop myself. It seemed to go on for hours. 'Damn it, hurry it up!' I thought completely ashamed. When he finally pulled away and let go off me, I let out a breath of relief.

"Better?"

"Yeah, thanks. Hey, do me a favor. Don't ever bite me again."

"You scared to die of blood loss or embarrassment?"

"Shut up."

He left without another word. I had one more thing to add to my list of stuff I didn't know about Levi. Sarcasm.

* * *

"Dodge. Block. Block. Dodge. Block. Dodge. Block. Dodge. Dodge. Block."

I muttered those words like a chant, as I was trying to avoid Connie's attack. I was back in the training room the following night. Sasha, Connie, Thomas, Mina and Nanaba were taking turns to teach me something. Nanaba had taught me the basics of making bombs and disarming them (which I actually enjoyed). Mina had taken upon herself to teach me shooting with firearms and how to take care of the guns. I had learned a lot of tricks to be stealthy from Thomas. Connie and Sasha had also resumed Levi's training and showed me how to avoid a vampire's attack. And right now, under Sasha's surveillance, Connie was attacking me, wildling style and I was trying to defend myself as best as I could. I surprised myself as he hadn't manage to land a hit on me. 'Looks like Levi's training is paying off.'

"Looks like you've got the basics of defense covered. At least against a strain one's attack. If I were fighting for real it'd be different. But in a fight you gotta learn, to hit as well as defend." He tossed me a wooden knife. "Now you're gonna try to hit me with this."

"Okay."

It got harder. Every time I tried to hit him, he would kick the knife out of my hand. "You can't hit blindly. Wait for an opening." Said Sasha.

"It's hard when you're focused on self defense."

"That's the thing, Petra. Self defense had to be automatic. It's only reflexes. You're attention is suppose to be mostly on the opening. You've got the stamina to wait for it." Added Thomas. "You can do it!"

"Let's go one more time. On three?" Said Connie. I nodded, getting to a fighting stance. 'You've got the reflexes Petra. Focus on the opening.' I thought to myself.

Connie smiled. "1...2..."

BOOM!

Suddenly part of the gym's wall blew up right next to us and cement dust filled the entire room. All of us started coughing and closed out eyes when the dust got in them.

"What the hell..." Said Connie. "Cough...Cough..."

I opened my eyes a little, and saw that the blast had actually cause a big hole in the wall. I saw five, no six shapes stepping out of it.

"Cough! Cough! Are you sure you dosed it correctly?" Said a girl's voice.

"Well, according to my calculation, it's what was needed to get through the wall." Replied a boy's voice.

"That was way too much, you dumbass!" Shouted another masculine voice.

'Oh, no. Please God, tell me this is not what I think it is. Anything but that.' The smoke and the dust then dissipated. Connie, Sasha, Mina, Nanaba, Thomas and I stared with eyes wide opened the newcomers. Four people. Two girls. Two boys. And two dogs. The two groups stared at each other in disbelief. I'd backed up next to the wall, so they didn't notice my presence. And all I could do was stare. My voice and body were frozen. Krista looked at the vampires in black uniforms and got to a fighting stance. Connie took that for a threat. His claws came out as he threw himself on the little blond girl. Little did he expect to receive the karate trained shorty's foot in the face. He rolled on the ground but got back to his feet in seconds, only angrier. He hissed like an angry cat before throwing himself on her again. And this time I knew he wasn't going to miss.

"NO WAIT!" I shouted throwing myself in his way and holding my arms up. Unfortunately for me, I'd taken off my jacket for training. His fangs pierced my arm and I let out a painful grunt and fell on my back.

"PETRA!" All of them yelled at the same time.

"I'm so sorry." Said Connie getting off me.

"You bastard!" Shouted Ymir.

She ran towards him and threw a fast punch towards his face. When quickly jumped back and dodged. Then Ymir took a knife out of her pocket. "I'm gonna gut you like a fish, freak!"

I knew it was just street talk, but my arm was hurting me so much, I couldn't talk yet, too busy clenching my teeth. Sasha ran towards Ymir, but before she could get to her, Jean brought his fingers to his mouth and whistled. Orion threw himself on the girl and grabbed her arm in his mouth. Thomas then attacked Jean and pushed him to the ground with brute force. Marco, who couldn't fight, came to my side.

"You alright? Come on we gotta go." He said as he tried to help me up. I let him help me up before yelling as loud as I could.

"EVERYONE STOP IT! STOP FIGHTING!"

They all stopped and looked at me with weird eyes. "Thomas, let go of him. Jean call back your dogs. Now!"

They seemed super confused but did what I told them. Thomas gave me a weird look. "You know them?"

"These guys are my friends." I answered.

"And who are they?" Asked Ymir, reluctantly putting her knife away and giving Connie a death glare.

I turned to my friends, my face red with anger. However, their faces were full of worry and reproachful. I clench my teeth. I'd intended to shout at them, but instead tears came out of my eyes. "Why couldn't you just stay away?"

They all looked surprised. "Petra, what are you talking about?" Asked Krista.

"These guys are the reason I didn't want you guys to follow me! Do you have any idea what you just did?! Your lives might be over just because of that! WHY COULDN'T YOU GUYS LISTEN TO ME?!"

Jean frowned and approached me. He raised his hand and gave a slap. "Don't give us that crap! Damn it, Petra! If we were the ones in this mess, you wouldn't have hesitated to throw yourself in the fire to come and get us! So don't start!"

"You don't understand..."

"What? These guys are blackmailing you or some shit?" Said Ymir. "Big deal. A little excitement's never hurt anyone."

"You guys...are idiots." I chuckled as tears. "Get out of here quickly."

"Sorry Petra." Said Thomas. The three vampires were standing in front of the hole, blocking the passage. "We can't let them go. They've seen us."

"Tch. Who gives a crap? Besides, we're not leaving without you." Said Jean, giving them a nasty look. "You think freaks like you scare us? What are you guys anyways? The Mafia?"

"No, they're..." I started, but then someone grabbed me from behind and placed they're hand in front of my mouth.

"One more word and I'll have to knock you out, Petra." Said Eld. He was dead serious.

I realized that all the lieutenants were in the room as well as a couple more Scouts, probably alerted by the explosion. They had made a circle around my friends. Orion and the other dog were growling. I got free and placed myself in front of my friends.

"Well, Petra." Said Marco. "Are you gonna tell us who these people are?"

"If I do, I'll only shorten your life span." I said.

"What the hell is going in here?" Said an angry voice.

I looked up. Levi was walking towards us. I felt my body trembling, from head to toes. I didn't feel anything from him, but I knew he could kill them off in a split second. No he couldn't. I wouldn't let him. He couldn't take my friend's lives. If he did, not only would he kill innocent people, he would have them on his conscious as well. I couldn't let him. He got pass the Scouts surrounding my group of friends. They looked terrified as well, probably feeling how strong he was. I suddenly snatched, Eld's gun from his holster and placed myself in front of him. I raised the gun, holding it with two hands and Levi stopped a couple meters away from me. I felt sweat forming on my forehead. I was scared and my breathing got heavy.

"Stay back." I told him.

He resumed his walk towards me, walking slowly but surely. I didn't even have the guts to tell him a second time to stay away. I placed an index on the trigger. Levi stopped very close, when the gun touched his chest. I looked at him in the eyes. He didn't look angry or aggressive. But that wasn't normal for him.

"Don't... Don't hurt them..." I stuttered.

Levi slowly rose his hand and grabbed the gun. "Drop it." He said.

My index shook on the trigger for a long minute. Then it was like my hands lost their strength and I dropped it. I stared at the floor thinking I'd lost. I couldn't save them? I was that useless? Levi tossed the gun back to his lieutenant then grabbed my arm. He observed the bite mark before opening the shoulder pocket of his jacket and took out a small syringe filled with a transparent liquid. He took the cap covering the needle with his mouth and spat it out. He pierced my arm and emptied the liquid in my veins.

"Connie. Did you bite her?"

"It was an accident sir."

"That's not what I care about. If that happens the first priority is to disinfect. That's crucial."

"Yes sir. I'm sorry."

I felt a lot better after the shot. Levi walked passed me and crossed his arms staring at the intruders with a death glare on them. All of them were petrified.

"Now, let's make one thing clear. If you try to run, you're dead. Tell me who you are and how you brats manage to find this place. It better be a damn good explanation if you want to live."

"Hold it, bastard! You tell us first who you are and why you kidnapped Petra."

Next thing he knew, Jean received a punch in the gut and fell on his butt. "Watch your tongue, horse face." This time, the aura surrouding him was dark and full of murder intent. "Here, you answer to me unless you want your head ripped off right now."

* * *

 **CLIFFHANGER! What will Levi do now? Will he let them go or terminate them? Stay tune for chapter 12! ;) PLEASE REVIEW!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey guys! So sorry for the delay! I was kind of getting back to school and all. Well whatever, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter were we're gonna see how Krista, Jean, Ymir and Marco deal with their situation! ENJOY!**

* * *

"Now, let's make one thing clear. If you try to run, you're dead. Tell me who you are and how you brats manage to find this place. It better be a damn good explanation if you want to live."

"Hold it, bastard! You tell us first who you are and why you kidnapped Petra."

Next thing he knew, Jean received a punch in the gut and fell on his butt. "Watch your tongue, horse face." This time, the aura surrounding him was dark and full of murder intent. "Here, you answer to me unless you want your head ripped off right now."

"Guys, do what he says." I quickly said. "He's not joking."

"If it's a fight you want, I'll give you one shorty." Says Ymir, reaching for her knife again. I ran to her and stopped her from taking it out.

"Stop being so pig headed and answer damn it!" I said before turning to Levi. "These are my friends. Ymir, Jean, Krista and Marco."

"As for our reason here, I think it's pretty obvious." Continued Marco. "We came to save Petra."

"Do you even know what you're saving her from?" Asked Eld.

"We don't really care about that." Said Krista. "We came for Petra and that's it."

"No wonder your brain lacks a few connections if you hang out with idiots like them." Said Levi. "You didn't even think that you'd be putting yourself in danger? How would you help her if you died, you morons?"

I was surprised. He was scolding them as if they were his brats. They didn't even talk back.

"Now, you're gonna tell me who you are and how the hell you found this place. If you lie, I'll break your bones until I beat the truth out of you. If your answer doesn't satisfy me, I'll kill you. Are we clear?"

Ymir frowned. "What makes you think that we'll listen to a shrim..."

She grunted when she received Krista's elbow in the stomach. "Yes, sir." Then answered the little blonde.

"Good." He turned to the rest of the Scouts. "Sasha, go get Erwin and Hanji. Tell them to hurry their asses. Oluo, you and your team do something about that damn wall. Mike you stay too. The rest of you, get lost." Everyone started to exit the gym. "You too, kid." Said Levi looking at me.

"I'm not going anywhere." I said stubbornly. No way was I leaving them alone with him.

"Then keep your mouth shut when I talk. Got it?"

I nodded and joined my friends. "Hi." I said. It was honestly the only thing that came to my mind.

"Hi." Replied Krista. "That...uniform thing looks pretty good on you."

"You think? It makes us look like a gothic sect. I even have to paint my nails."

"Okay, that's exaggerated. So. This is where you disappear to every night."

"Pretty much."

After our banal conversation, Hanji and Erwin finally arrived. The tall blond man sighed when he saw them. "It seems you keep bringing new comers to us Levi."

"Hey I know you." Suddenly said Krista, with a surprised look. "You're Erwin Smith, the ex army commander."

"And you are Historia Reiss. The King's illegitimate child."

"Actually, it's Krista. No one calls me Historia apart from my dad."

"I knew I saw your face somewhere, pipsqueak." Added Levi.

"Hey, that was uncalled for." I snapped.

He turned back to Krista. "Just knowing your name and your status doesn't tell me who you are."

"What else do you want to know?" Snapped Jean. "The name of her personal stylist?"

Levi shot him a death glare. "Open your mouth one more time, horse face, and I'll break your jaw."

"Levi, enough with the threats." Said Erwin. "Alright, next. You, what's your name young man?"

Marco gave them his widest smile. "My name is Marco Bodt. I'm eighteen years old. I'm a twelfth grader at Trost High. And I'm the modern day Sherlock Holmes."

"This isn't a joke Marco." I said.

"But I'm being serious. I did find this place after all." He looked at Levi with the same idiotic smile on his face. "You're obviously trying to figure out our talents, so I'm telling you. I'm the best detective in the city. Maybe in the entire world too."

I made a face. "And modest with that."

"Tch. You're already annoying me. Horse-face! You next."

"Stop calling me that!"

"Answer him Jean."

"Jean Kirstein. Eighteen, twelfth grader."

"And I suppose you're speak mutt?" Said Levi as he stared at the two dogs, quietly sitting next to their master.

"Yeah, I can even tell them to rip your throat out."

"Jean, stop it." I said. "You're not helping."

"Since when do you take someone's shit like that, Petra? I didn't think you'd bow to some asshole that just tells you what to do."

I looked down and clenched my fists. I couldn't answer that question. Because when I thought about it, I was so mad at myself that I could scream.

"Freckles. Your turn."

"Name's Ymir. Don't ask for a last name, I don't have one. I'm nineteen and I work in a shop in Maria. I used to be a junkie. You got the story of my life."

Levi inspect them one more time, checking every inch of them one by one. Then he turned to me. "A princess, a ex junkie, a wannabe detective and a dog trainer. You have got the weirdest crew of all times."

This time I got angry. "You want me to mention what kind of people you hang out with, you freakin' vamp?"

He gave me a death glare. "Don't even start. They saw Connie bite me."

"So all of them are vampires?" Asked Marco. "This is gonna change so many of my theories."

"Really Marco?"

"Sorry. I'm just a little excited. I mean it's not everyday you learn that supernatural creatures exist. Hey, do werewolves exist too?"

I face palmed. 'Marco, why are you such an idiot when you have such a big brain?'

"Actually were not vampires. We're freaks created in a lab." Said Hanji.

"Created? Who? How? When?" Said Marco.

"Now you've done it, four-eyes."

"What? There in the same situation as Petra, they might as well know what she knows. Unless you want to get rid of them."

"Not on my watch." I said.

"SHUT UP! Both of you!" He turned to my friends again. "Listen up, brats. You got two options. Either you put your skills to use and work for us, or you can die. You've got five seconds to answer."

"I'm in!" Said Marco, more cheerful than ever.

"Levi, they have school! Unlike me, they can't just drop out. And Krista is the King's daughter, if she goes missing everyone will notice."

"So you're telling me to just let them go with everything they've seen here? I already told you kiddo, no one can know our secret. Besides, your pals seem to have their minds set on being with you."

"You got that right." Said Jean with a determined look.

"We'll think of something. Runaway teenagers are not that rare you know?" Added Krista with a mischievous smile which was kind of creepy coming from her.

"I've always dreamed that something like this would happen to me." Said Marco.

"No one's gonna miss me."

I sighed and smiled at them. "I give up. I'm not your mom, do whatever you want."

"Not so fast. Tell me how you found this place." Said Levi.

"Oh that was easy." Said Marco as he walked up to me. He grabbed my collar with a finger and pulled it inside out to show us the tracker. "I just had to get this baby's signal and we just followed. Then Ymir found us an underground route and then we just had to follow the dogs."

"Tracking us with our own tracking device." Said Hanji. "Not bad. This kid's got brains."

"Hold on, how did you even know that I had a tracking device?"

"That was easy. You were doing everything you could to keep us away from you. I deduced that you were under surveillance. And then the night you found Orion, I knew you'd bring him back to Jean's place. When you cam in through the door, the sensors I placed their picked up the devices signal and voila."

"You genius bastard."

"Na, it was pretty easy. Besides, you're the one who taught me how to do that."

"You're more dangerous than I thought, Petra." Commented Erwin.

I was getting pissed off. "Will you all stop ganging up on me?"

"You think this is a game?" Suddenly snapped Levi, annoyed by the lightheartedness of the moment. "You do realize your lives are on the line?"

Krista walked up to him until she was half a foot away from him and stared at him right in the eyes. Sparkly blue vs steel grey. I think everyone in the room was holding their breath. Sure, Levi wasn't the tallest of guys, but he was still five inch taller than her. And the way he looked at her with his murderous glare made him look like a wolf staring at his prey a second before ripping it's throat open. But Krista looked at him with a determined stare.

"Of course we do. But trembling and shaking isn't going to help any of us. We don't know who you are, what you are or what you're up to. But we do know one thing. We finally found Petra and the kind of trouble she was dragged in. You can do to us whatever you want but you can be sure of one thing. We're not going down without a fight. I don't know what kind of organization you've got going on here, but you seem to have a lot of people under your command. Are you the kind that sacrifices or the kind that risks everything to save one? I'd rather warn you right now, we're the latter. What you decide for one of us goes for all of us. And since we're not really inclined to die, looks like we're gonna have to work for you."

Levi frowned even more. "You have no idea what you're getting yourself into..."

"LEVI NO!" I shouted, remembering my 'test'.

They both ignored me. "Wanna try me?" She lifted up her sleeve and brought her arm up to his face.

"What the hell Kris?" I said completely bewildered.

"He's obviously trying to test us. So I'm letting him."

"Are you insane?!"

Again, she ignored me. "Well? Are you gonna bite me or not?"

Levi death glared at her for a very, very long minute. At this point I wasn't the only one holding my breath. But Krista never looked away. I was impressed, but still scared out of my mind. Without realizing, I'd brought my hand to my knife. Then Levi suddenly said.

"Think fast."

Without even giving her the time to process what he'd just said, He swung his fist toward her head, claws out...only to be perfectly blocked. The karate black belt shorty blocked his wrist with one hand and the inside of his upper arm with the other. He was obviously a lot stronger but with that method, Krista made sure that he was taken away by his own weight. Levi was too experienced to trip, but he still had to take a side step to avoid loosing balance. Krista then tried to kick him in the ribs, but this time he grabbed her ankle in mid-air. And with one swift move, he soccer-kicked ball the leg she was standing on and she fell flat on her back. Fear grabbed a hold of me, and I lost my composure and I took out a knife. Levi then stared at me, as if he knew what I was about to do.

"Calm down, kiddo. I'm not going to kill her." He turned back to Krista. "You've got good reflexes, blondie. Not bad."

"Thanks, I guess. Your's are better though." She said as she got up.

"Alright, listen up you bunch of nutcase. Just like you wanted you're now in the same situation as Petra. You work for us, you do what we tell you to do without asking questions. If any of you decides to go free lance or talk to anyone on the outside about this, you will die."

This time I could see the seriousness on my friends's faces. Like they finally understood what they were in for. I was glad and angry at the same time. We were all attached by the same chains now. And it was all my fault.

"It's not your fault at all." Suddenly said Ymir. I gave her a surprised look. "I know that look on your face, ginger. Technically it's my fault for taking us free running right."

"How did you know..."

"Easy. You started acting weird after that night. It wasn't a hard guess."

"You guys take this much better than I did the first time."

"Nothing unusual there." Said Marco. "You were alone with these freaks. No offense." He added looking at Hanji.

"None taken." She laughed and turned to Erwin. "I really like this kid. Hey, genius kid. Let me pick your brain a little. From what you've seen here, what can you tell about us."

Marco pretended to think. "Hum. Well you guys are obviously a deep undercover organization. I believe the reason is probably because of what you are. From what I can tell, you're either working for the government or for the underworld. But my guess goes to government. And whatever you are doing cannot be known by anyone. That would explain the lack of contact with the government. You're only link is probably a high ranked, in this case probably you sir." He said pointing at Erwin.

"How can you possibly tell that?" Asked Erwin, surprised.

"Deduction. Krista, who also happens to be a member of the royal family knows you and she was surprised to see you here. From reaction, I can tell that she thinks of you as a respectable person and couldn't picture you being involved in crimes. Since she is a very good judge of character, I believe her. If you're not underground workers, you work for the government. Kris, what is his position?"

"He's an ex-commander of the army. Or at least everyone thought he retired."

"There you have it. A man like you that spent so much time serving and is really good at what he does has very little chance of starting to work illegally. Other than that, you're probably doing something super secretive for the government, that only high ranked people know about. So it's probably has something to do with people like you. When I say like you, I mean vampires."

"We got it." Said Krista, Jean and Ymir in unison.

"my guess is that there are other like you but who probably aren't as tamed. Are you hunting them down by any chance?"

Hanji dropped her papers. "Wow. You're good."

Marco was gone too far to hear her. "This links back to a lot of my theories. "I heard something about the percentage of crime has gone in past few years. Maybe you're the ones involved in that or whoever you're hunting is. By the way. Do you drink human blood? If you're good guys, then I imagine not or it's from blood bags. Ah! But wouldn't that mean stealing from blood banks? If you have no ties with the government, it's probably normal that you have to supply yourselves. Hold on, you guys have guns. Are you also involved in gun trafficking? That would also mean... Ow!"

I slapped him behind the head to shut him up before he could piss off Levi even more. And that is how my crazy friends were dragged into the nightmare with me.

* * *

It didn't take long before the guys figured out the rest of what was going on here. Before I knew it, they came almost every night. Krista was mostly put to use in training. Jean was working with Nanaba in the armory. His father had been in the military all his life and had taught him everything about handling firearms. He was really good at it and his dogs were extremely useful in patrols. Or at least that's what the Scouts said. Ymir knew the city like the back of her hand. She was able to point out any unlikely hide out or other placed. And most of them turned out to be crawling with others. They'd started getting together to have better defenses against the Scouts but it was of no help at all. And no matter in which hole they crawled, Ymir always knew were to look. As for Marco, he was most of the time paired up with me to check out leads and the stuff I'd find on the computers of our victims or the plastic surgeons. However, on our side it was a lot more difficult. Even with Marco always coming up with new ideas, we hardly found any leads concerning the three heads of the heaven project. And I was starting to feel like we were not looking in the right direction.

Other than that, the guys had started to get along with the vampires. Connie and Ymir would fight over every little thing. Jean had started hitting on Mikasa. I think he really liked her dark and mysterious personality. She remained indifferent though. But he really enjoyed learning and sharing knowledge with Nanaba. Everybody loved Krista and her everlasting smile. When Sasha had other spasms, she allowed her to bite her directly. Levi chewed her out for it, but she said the exact same thing I did, and said that she'd do it again. A week went by, and the everyday Scout activities became almost...happy. Having my friends with me was great. But I also felt a little guilty about it. They seemed to enjoy it here. But I thought that was only because they'd never been on a hunt yet. They'd help from base and weren't allowed out. I really didn't want them to see what I saw.

A couple days (or in this case nights) later, I went to Levi's office. I knocked on the door.

"Come in."

I entered. Levi was reading a book. His office was neatly ordered. On one side there was his desk and a bunch of shelves, and on the other a couple chairs and a low table. There wasn't a spec of dust in sight. 'And one more thing for my list : Levi is a clean freak.' He didn't take his eyes of his book.

"What do you want?"

For some reason I didn't manage to say it right away. Now that I thought about it, I'd never actually told him anything about his methods. He was very persistent in his way of proceeding.

"Did you come here to tell me that you give up?"

"Huh?"

"Want me to kill you?"

"I'd rather live thanks." That pissed me off just enough to start talking. "We're doing this wrong Levi. We've checked all the names and crossed referenced them with the names of clients from the surgeons's computers and the email contacts of the Others. Nothing matches at all."

"What do you suggest we do?"

I raised one eyebrow. "You're asking me for advice?"

"I want to hear your thoughts. Big difference."

"I have none. Marco thinks that if they really did have a face change, then they did it outside the city. Maybe we should consider the fact that they're gone. We searched their old houses like he suggested but nothing came up."

This time he closed his book and stood up. "They're still here. There's no way they disappeared. They even restarted a new project."

"What?"

"Remember when you were bitten? Four eyes compared your virus to the others. It was different. Faster and hyperactive. And the angel that bit you was after me that night. I know they're here."

"So they really are back..." I said staring into space, completely shocked.

"Anyways, don't worry. We have an opportunity coming soon. I'll tell you about it when we're ready.

'So you're still keeping things from me.' I thought annoyed and disappointed. "Wait. If they were after you, does that mean you're special to them?"

He stared at me with a strange expression and without answering. As if he didn't want me to know about him anymore than I already did. I sighed and started leaving. "Never mind." I said. I grabbed the door handle and was about to open it.

"Hey." He called out.

The second I turned around, Levi grabbed my wrist and pulled me behind him. He gave me a rough pull and I was thrown into one of the chairs. I gave him a very confused look.

"What're you..."

He grabbed the armrests, trapping me and leaned in forward. I sunk into the chair and leaned back as far as I could. He was giving me an unknown stare. It was kind of creepy coming from him.

"W-what?"

He brought one hand up and pushed my hair away from the right side of my neck. I turned my head away in the opposite direction, my eyes wide open with anxiety. He wasn't gonna bite me, was he? I was paralyzed at the idea. When I saw him leaning closer and opening his mouth from the corner of my eye. I shut mine and clenched my teeth. The idea of pushing him away was extremely strong but I couldn't move. But when his tongue slid on my skin. My eyes shot opened and this time I tried to push him away.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"It was still itching."

"N-no it wasn't!" I protested.

He leaned in even closer. "Don't even try. It's red from your scratching."

'That's not why I scratched it.' My face turned red at the thought. I had scratched it but because... it felt weird to have something from Levi stuck to my body like that. He leaned closer again until his mouths almost touched my ear and said with a very low voice. "And I thought I told you that I'd bite your ear off if you lied to me."

I tried to push him away even more. "That's not even something important!"

"Right." He suddenly stopped moving and stared at something. "I didn't know you had a piercing."

"Huh? You mean my ring? Amanda said I could for my seventeenth birthday."

It was a simple silver ring hanging from the top of my ear. It was so weird for him to talk anout insignificant things like that. But for a second there he looked fascinated by it. He stared at it for a long time.

'This is getting really awkward.' I thought. "Hum,You didn't answer my question..." I asked hoping he'd pull away, which he didn't. But his eyes looked into mine again.

"You mean about me being special to them? Maybe. I was the one who broke free first."

I suddenly felt like asking. "How...how was it? In there?"

He stared at me for a while again before opening his mouth to answer but...

KNOCK KNOCK.

He finally stood up again as did I really quickly. "Come in." He said.

Hanji and Marco entered. "Oh, you're here too Petra?" Said the head of the science branch. "Did we interrupt something?"

"No." We both answered at the same time. "What is it four eyes?"

"Our latest recruit has a pretty good idea... Althought you're probably not gonna like it."

Levi frowned when he saw Marco's idiotic smile. And I knew my friend too well to not be worried. I held my breath.

* * *

 **What evil/crazy plan could our modern time Sherlock Holmes be preparing and that Levi will not like? HIHI! Keep reading! PLEASE REVIEW!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey guys! I'm really sorry for the delay! I have a lot of work lately. But enough about that. Enjoy chapter 13 (the cursed chapter!)**

* * *

"Would someone please explain, why me?" I growled.

I was in Sasha's room in the HQ with Nanaba, Hanji, Krista and Ymir. They were making me try on outfits for Marco's brilliant plan. It had turned out to be a plan for the opportunity levi had spoken about. Which had turned out to be an occasion for the gathering of the richest and highest ranked people in the city. It was a charity ball organized by the King and the council. Yes, a ball. The theme was late 18th century Europe. We were gonna infiltrate it and set up cameras inside to scan the peoples faces, once they've removed their masks, because yes, it was also a mascaraed until midnight. We were gonna be a small group to infiltrate while Armin and Thomas were going to set up the computer and the program. And guess who got to be the blend in cover?

"Well, it depends on who you are asking." Said Hanji as she adjusted my dress. "Officially, it's because you're the only non-angel who can blend in enough. The angels can't because of their claws. Anyone with gloves will look suspicious if Dok, Woerman or Jeager is here. And among the three of you ladies, you're the only one who doesn't stand out too much."

"I have to be present at the party, and I can't exactly be under cover." Said Krista. "I'm gonna have people trying to suck up to me to get to my dad."

"I get that Krista's not doing it. She's too recognizable with her size. But why not Ymir."

"No thanks." Replied Ymir lazily. "The day you'll see me in a dress will be the day you die at the funeral."

"Thanks for the support." I snapped. "Some friend you are."

"Come on, you know I wouldn't be able to talk all fancy. I wasn't exactly raised that way."

"Yeah, yeah. Keep talking." I said rolling my eyes.

"Oh, stop complaining already. You won't be alone. Connie, Eld, Mina and Nanaba will be there, as well as Sasha and Mikasa for direct backup."

"Yeah, as waiters."

"What is the matter?" Asked Krista. "You're going to be wearing a pretty dress, get to dance, eat delicious food..."

"That's exactly what worries me. I'm gonna have to approach people up close to get a look at their faces. Do you have any idea how uncomfortable that is?"

"That's at midnight. The party starts at ten. You have two hours to enjoy yourself."

I sighed before turning to Hanji again. "You said officially. What's the other reason?"

She smirked. "I wonder... Maybe a certain someone wants to see you all nicely dressed up instead of our depressing gothic uniforms."

"Yeah, like who?"

All the girls stopped what they were doing and stared at me.

"What?"

"You are clueless." Stated Krista.

I frowned. "If you're talking about Levi, that's not even funny. The guy hates me."

Sasha suddenly walked into the room. She was carrying a box. "I found the thread and needles! And everything else we need. We're gonna be busy so I also brought snacks."

"Of course you did." I said smiling, thankful that she had interrupted our conversation. "Are you sure you're gonna be able to turn this nightgown into a 1900s party dress?" I asked the short haired blond girl.

Nanaba smiled. "Try me. I love a good challenge. Start by putting it on."

"How come you're so good with all of this?" I asked as I took off my clothes and put on the nightgown.

"Ever since I was a kid I've been dreaming of becoming a designer. That's what I was going for before..."

Her face saddened as she was about to mention the Heaven Project. Until now, I had no idea how it could feel to have ten years of your life stolen from you. She looked like she was around eighteen. Which meant that she was probably almost done with high school and ready to start attending college. That was even harder for me to understand since, I technically started college when I was fourteen but still... Her dreams, her life, all taken away in a second. These people were really monsters. I shook my head to get the dark thoughts out and smiled at her.

"Well, don't hold back then. I have no other choice than to be your model, so you might as well enjoy yourself." I told her.

Just as I'd hoped, her smile came back. "I wasn't asking your permission for that." She laughed. "I'm gonna make you the prettiest girl there. As for the rest of you, let's get to work. I'll make you so pretty, even the captain will have to admit it."

"Excuse me? I have no intention at all to show it to anyone else. Especially not him."

"Oh come on. Even he can compliment sometimes."

"Yeah, when you do your job well." I retorted.

"Technically, it is my assignment to make you blend in."

"And wait a minute, I'm suppose to be discreet..."

"That's why I'm keeping the dress black and not too decorated. But that won't keep it from being the prettiest there. Ever heard of dark beauties?"

"You guys are gonna end up killing me instead of him." I muttered, as Nanaba started taking my measurements.

* * *

 **Kile House 8:30pm**

I was finishing my assignment for college in my room, only half focused. The party was in a couple days and Nanaba was making slow progress on the dress. 'If she's not finish by Friday, I'll have to find something else. Maybe I can borrow one of Amanda's gala dresses, but she's too tall for me. Krista's obviously too small.' I suddenly stopped writing. Why was I suddenly excited for this? It was a mission, I was suppose to be focused and reluctant. But as Krista said, it was a party. I might as well enjoy it a little bit. The thought of being in the middle of a crowd of fancy dressed people didn't sit right with me. I would be completely out of my element. I knew Eld, Nanaba, Connie and Mina wouldn't be too far, but still. I quickly finished my assignment and got it ready for send posting. Then I turned on my computer and googled the palace hall. It was where the party was suppose to take place. It was a gigantic hall entirely made of white marble and held up by pillars. Gorgeous and spacious. There was a balcony going all around the room and a huge staircase in the middle to access it. Luckily, at certain time of year it could be visited by tourists and so it was easy to get images. I gathered as much angles as I could before setting up a 3D model of the place. I looked at the convenient places for setting up cameras. I was very focused in my search when my door flew open in a loud bang. I nearly jumped out of my skin when Myra entered my room.

"Petra!" Said the little girl.

"Myra! I told you to knock before coming in! And what was that? You almost gave me a heart attack."

"Sorry. But dad's home early! We're having dinner together!"

"Really?"

Tim was rarely home this early and we were usually all asleep when he came back (except for me of course), so we we usually never had dinner together. I was really surprised and happy. Myra was pumped and Alec probably was too. "Let me finish this quickly and I'll be right there. I said quickly writing the address of the university on my big envelop containing my assignment and put a stamp on it. I didn't notice my foster little sister coming closer to my desk.

"What's that?" She said looking at my 3D model.

"Oh, that's hum..." I thought quickly. "That's a 3D model. My school asked me to make it. All the students have to make part of the castle. I got the Grand Hall." I lied.

"That's so cool!" She exclaimed. "Can you make one of the entire castle?"

"No, sorry. Not every part of it is accessible you know."

"It is to Krista right? Why don't you ask her?"

"Because, Myra, you don't take advantage of your friend's positions like that."

"Come on, there's gotta be something you ask Krista from time to time. She's a princess!"

"Nope, never. Now get out of my room and let's get downstairs." I said standing up.

The both of us headed downstairs and to the kitchen, where Alec, Amanda and Tim were already sitted around the table, waiting for us. Alec, was all smiling and pumped up, talking to his dad about his school day. Amanda also had the brightest of smiles on her face, as she was making dinner. However, Tim looked exhausted. He was smiling and listening to Alec, but the bags under his eyes were deep and purple. There was also a constant frown on his forehead. It was usually there when he was really stressed out. I went to sit next to Alec and Amanda.

"You're home early, Tim. It's good to have you for dinner."

"Yeah, it's good to be home. How are things going for you Petra?"

"Great. College assignments are getting done and still getting good grades. I get to see my friends more often too." Understatement of the year.

"That's good. I'm glad everything is working out. You're not missing high school too much?"

"You mean do I miss waiting an hour in line to get a lunch portion or spending eight hours a day listening to teachers talking about things that I already know? No, I'm kidding. I miss seeing my classmates and being in the school's rhythm but as long as I get to see the guys, I'm good. I get to sleep a lot more too."

"That's an understatement." Said Amanda.

"No offense Tim, but you look horrible. Is everything alright?"

"Oh yes, don't worry. I'm cooped up with work and I can't seem to get any rest lately, but don't worry. I be fine soon. I was thinking the five of us could go somewhere for christmas break. When I'm done working."

He was obviously dodging the question. I dropped the subject hoping he'd talk to Amanda and I later. Amanda served dinner and we all started eating. The food tasted much better when all of us were together.

"Myra, I noticed you're wearing a lot of nail polish lately." Said Amanda.

"Guilty." I said. "I gave her all of mine."

"And it looks good on me." Said Myra. "It makes me look mature."

"Trying to look pretty for someone Mimi?" I teased.

"No!" She protested, obviously lying.

"Mimi has a boyfriend." Started chanting Alec.

"Shut up! You can talk Petra. You've got a crush on that guy from your college."

"Mimi, I've only seen him once. I can't have a crush on him." 'No, I really can't.' I thought.

"He is very handsome and very sweet. I wouldn't mind having him as a son in law."

"Not you too Amanda."

"He'd have to go through me first." Said Tim. "The DADD club will take care of him."

"The dad club?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

"D.A.D.D. Dads Against Daughters Dating."

"Was Grampa part of the club?" Asked Alec to his mother.

All of us froze before bursting out in laughter. It wasn't that funny, but I think we just needed to laugh. It felt like it'd been forever since I spent time with my family like this. It was really nice. And I promised myself I would never take it for granted again. We chatted happily for the entire dinner until Amanda finally sent Myra and Alec to their rooms around 10:00pm. After the kids left, Tim sighed and his tired/worried face came back.

"Tim are you sure you're alright? You really look terrible." I said.

Amanda placed her head on her husbands face. "You don't have a fever but you really should get some rest. How about taking a break for a few days?"

"I can't. I have an important event coming soon that I have to manage. Security there has to be perfect. And then I have some issues about the wall borders to resolve."

"If it's so tiring, you have to rest. Your superiors can't ask you to do the impossible. Besides you won't do your job well if you're too sick. I don't want you to collapse. Now is the best time to take your rest. You'll be full of energy for your big event."

When I came to live with the Kilers, I quickly realized that I wasn't suppose to ask questions about Timothy's job. We knew it was a big job, full of top secret set ups and he wasn't aloud to discuss it with his family. I kept my curiosity in check and grabbed another piece of apple pie made by Amanda. The thing was I really wanted to ask more. I'd never seen Tim like that. As his wife kept moralizing him, I slowly chewed on my pie and tried to divert my attention outside. That's when I saw it. A pair of eyes were looking at me from the wall surrounding the garden. Someone was crouching on top of it. The stature wasn't big and the eyes were steel grey. Only one name came to mind. When it did, I chocked on a piece of apple. I coughed violently a couple times.

"Are you alright, Petra?" Asked Amanda, before grabbing my glass.

Once my throat cleared, I looked outside again. He was still there staring. What was he thinking? Tim and Amanda were right there!

"I'm a little too full. Do you mind if I go for a quick walk outside?"

She gave me a surprised look. "Sure, if you want. But don't go too far it's still pretty late. I think we're going to go to bed now. And don't forget to lock the door and turn the lights off when you come back."

"Yes ma'm." I said quickly getting up and walking out the door. But once outside, he was gone. I looked around the garden but found nothing. Where on earth could he have gone? I climbed the wall and looked outside the house. At the corner of my street and one crossing it, he was standing there. As if he was waiting for me.

"Hey!" I called out.

As soon as I did, he ran into the street, once more disappearing from my sight. What was he doing? Playing hide and seek with me right now really wasn't the time. I jumped off the wall and started running after him. We did that for a couple streets. He waited for me at the corners and then ran again. I felt like I was Alice following the white rabbit in a maze. Then at some point I lost him completely. I stopped to catch my breath and looked around the empty street.

"Ah! Come on! Where'd he go?" I muttered annoyingly before shouting. "It's not funny you know! If you have something to say to me, come on out and say it!"

That's when I heard someone wolf whistle. But the sound came from the sky. I looked up and saw a figure on the roof of a small building, still looking at me.

"What is he playing at? That's not his style at all."

I growled and climbed up the emergency staircase. Again, he was waiting for me on the next roof.

"Is this your idea of training? Because if we're talking free running, I'm already an expert in the field. So how about just telling me what this is all about?"

I realized that with the light moonlight, I could see part of his face. My eyes widened when I saw the corner of his mouth turn into a smirk. It was...impossible. He then turned around and started running again, jumping from roof to roof with incredible dexterity and agility. 'No, I must be dreaming.' I thought slapping both of my hands on my cheeks to wake me up. I ran after him. It indeed looked like I was out of practice. I couldn't catch up to him at all. He still waited for me. Usually I loved the sensation of jumping in the air and catching myself with my feet or hands depending on the jump, but right now I was too busy thinking about not loosing him. I have no clue how far he took me but when he stopped again, sweat was dripping from my forehead. I looked at the ground and panted a bit to catch my breath. But When I looked up again, he had disappeared. I jumped on the roof where he'd just been and looked around. Where could he possibly have gone? I looked at the ground of this roof. There was a chalk drawn cross on one part of it. This roof was round shaped, like the roof of a warehouse. I walked over to the cross and gave it a light kick.

'What the hell?'

I gave it a harder kick. Still nothing happened. I took a step to be on top of it and still nothing happened. I looked around again to see if he'd reappeared. But still nothing. After sixty seconds, I got enough.

"Ah! You're an asshole you know that! You drag me around to nowhere and then just leave me here?" I shouted to none. "You really piss me off!"

I stomped on the ground... and that's when the painted glass shattered. I fell but manage to grab on to the edge with one hand. But I quickly slipped and fell down twelve meters and landed violently on my side. My whole body tensed up and I clenched my teeth to avoid letting out a painful scream. I felt like one of my ribs broke.

"Well, well. Would you look at what just dropped in." Said a voice.

I quickly sat up, holding my side. The warehouse was closed off from the outside. The windows had been painted and inside were huge piles of wooden boxes. Standing in front of me was a bunch of six young people. In one word, they looked like punks. One of them came closer and crouched next to me. He smiled.

"Hi there. So, what made you fall from heaven?"

I frowned. "Cheapest pick up line ever." I said as I carefully stood up and took a step back, I flinched when my side started aching painfully.

"Looks like you hurt yourself cutie. How about you let me take a look for you?" He said leaning forward.

"Get out of my face." I snapped taking a step back. "I fell by accident."

"But you still made a whole in our roof. Do you have the cash to pay for it? You can pay with something else..."

"As if, pervert."

"I wasn't talking about your body. Trust me you're not my type." He sniffed the air. "You smell good and I'm starting to get hungry anyways."

'He can smell me from that far? No way!' I thought. I realized that his hands had been in his pockets the whole time.

"Show me your hands!" I ordered.

He seemed surprised. "My hands? Strange fetish you got there, ginger."

He still took them out and showed them to me. His nails were indeed dark. 'Shit. He's an angel.' I immediately took a defensive stance. I looked at the others. They didn't have colored nails. 'They're human? Do they know about him?'

"You really should keep your eyes on your opponent in a fight."

Before I could even react to his words, he was right next to me and threw his fist on my hurt ribs. The strength of the blow was tremendous. I let out a painful grunt and fell on my back on the ground. I instinctively reached for my belt, but I wasn't wearing my uniform. So I had no knifes with me. I tried getting up but my ribs hurt too much. The guy pressed one knee on my stomach, held my right hand to the ground with one hand and with the other, pressed the side of my head down.

"Let go off me you bastard." I said, as I tried to push him away.

"Hold still and I won't have to let my boys play with you when I'm done. I'll make you so weak you won't even be able to move. Actually, you guys can come and watch if you want."

The others came a bit closer with sadistic grins on their faces. I kept struggling in vain. It was useless, the guy leaned in forward and opened his mouth. I saw his fangs. Terrified, I reached for my pocket and grabbed the pen that I had there. I clicked it and stabbed him as hard as I could in between the collar bone and the throat. The guy screamed in pain and let go off me. I sent my foot flying in his face and quickly got up, ignoring the pain in my side. I ran to the door and tried to open it, but it was locked.

"You know, smelling my own makes me even more hungry. But you got me curious. You didn't look surprised when you saw my teeth."

I turned around and gave him a defiant glare. "Do you know anyone named Jaeger, Woerman or Dok?" I suddenly asked, hoping to stall, while I found another way out.

"Yeah, I've heard Jaeger somewhere. But enough small talk about that doll. I think I'll stab you in the neck with that pen..."

He slowly approached. I tried to get to a stance again but my side was even more painful than before. But when he was a step away from me...

POW!

A bullet made a hole in his forehead and lodged itself in the door just above my head. Some of his blood splashed on my face. I was completely frozen for a moment.

"What just..."

Something or rather someone jumped from the roof and landed on the floor of the warehouse. Levi stood up and put his gun back in his holster. He was frowning even more than usual.

"WHAT THE HELL..." Said one of the other guys. "That son of a bitch!"

Levi seemed to be ignoring them and walked over to me.

"Levi, why are you..."

He grabbed his jacket put it over my head. And said quietly. "Close your eyes and cover your ears."

"W-why?"

"Just do it. For real, Petra."

Suddenly understanding what he was about to do, I wanted to say something but a strange force was keeping me from doing so... So when he threw himself on the other guys, I shut my eyes and covered my ears. I heard five nasty cracking noises and panicked cries. I kept them tightly closed, even when it was over and he picked me up and took me outside. My body was trembling like a leaf in the wind.

"We're at your house, kid."

I opened my eyes and realized that we were in my room. I couldn't believe I'd kept my eyes closed the entire way. He put me down and I immediately fell to my knees when the pain struck again. Levi grabbed my arm and helped me sit on my bed. My thoughts were someplace else though. It was... strange to have him this close. Not like the other times. This time... I didn't know how to act.

"Hey, lie down on your side."

I did what he told me. He lifted my shirt a bit and uncovered my side. "No wonder that hurt. You've got glass shards in your flesh. Hold still."

He took something out of one of his many pockets and started taking the shards out. It was painful but I didn't make a sound. I was focused on something else. I couldn't stop thinking about the guys from back there. Levi put a few bandages on me and then put his tool away.

"Now that that's done, mind explaining to me what you were doing gout there?"

I sat up. "I was following you, what did you think I was doing?"

"What?"

"It was you right. In front of my house while I was having dinner..."

"What are you talking about? I came to tell you that you could have the night off but find you nowhere, so I tracked you. Lucky for you, you forgot to remove your collar."

I stared at the ground confused. "There was someone ...waiting for me I think. I thought it was you for training or something so I followed him and then I landed..." I was talking about one thing but my mind was only picturing those guys from back there. "Why did you kill them? The others I mean..."

"Because they had to be disposed of. I told you, we can't have anyone on the outside knowing about us. Besides, when you hang out with rogues, the taste for blood gets to you. These guys were murderers in training. We'll talk about this tomorrow. I'm going back to base."

He started walking towards the window. "You're a monster..." I whispered almost unintentionally.

He turned around before leaving. "I warned you long ago, Petra. If the truth hurts too much, come see me. I'll put you out of your misery."

He jumped out the window and I buried my face in my pillow to let out the river of tears that I'd been holding inside. I wasn't scared. No, I got passed most of my fear concerning him. But I was...desperate. Whatever darkness was eating at him from the inside and making him think like that and do these things... I wanted to know what it was and crush it with my own two hands.

* * *

 **And just when we thought we finally understood everything about Levi... Oh, well next chapter is the ball! I mean the mission! PLEASE REVIEW!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey guys! Sorry for the delay! Hope you enjoy the chapter. You'll find out that things don't always go as planned when on mission!**

* * *

My first thought when I entered the place was 'I really don't belong here.'

The place was filled with rich people in ridiculously expensive costumes, probably all custom made for this occasion. Everyone was also wearing masks, since it was a mascaraed. I was leaning against the wall in a corner waiting for Krista to find me. The others who were suppose to be disguised as waiters (sorry, butlers and maids), still weren't here. So I was alone in enemy territory. I did have an earpiece on but it was still unconnected. So yeah. Definitely alone and defenseless. The one positive thing about all of this? The dress. Nanaba had made an incredible job. As promised it was all black and late eighteenth century styled. Which meant the dress was going all the way down to my feet. It was shoulder less, short was decorated with black butterflies and nice leaf and flower designs. Discreet, yet gorgeous. Mikasa then had tied my hair into a nice bun, decorated with small black flower clips. Krista had lend me a pearl necklace and a pair of earrings matching it. And of course, I had a mask. Butterfly shaped, black with golden designs and a feather sticking out of it. Thank heaven the shoes she'd picked didn't have too high heels. The others were hidden inside trucks outside the castle gate with the computer to activate the program. So I stood there, watching the people filling the beautiful giant hall, in gorgeous costumes.

'Too bad in this time they didn't have computers. I really don't belong here.'

It made me wonder how I would have lived in this time period. Who was I kidding? I would have been married of to some random guy that my parents would have chosen for me, what else? I looked at the people here, wondering if they brought their kids to stuff like that. I sighed, once more.

" _Wake up, kid. You're on duty."_ Said a cold voice in the earpiece.

I nearly jumped out of my skin and let out a small frightened sound. I looked around to see if no one had heard, before whispering. "Thanks for reminding me. I've been sitting my butt here not doing squat except refuse drinks cause I'm not old enough. Remind me what I'm suppose to do again until they remove their masks? That's right, nothing!" I whispered loud enough for them to hear.

" _You're suppose to act natural kid. In these kinds of place, the ones who don't socialize stand out. So do something."_

"Like what, go talk to some random people?"

" _That's the whole point. Move your ass."_

"I'll have your skin for this." I muttered in between my teeth.

I looked around for a target. Except everyone looked like they were at least ten to twenty years older than me. "Hello there." Said a voice behind me.

I looked up. A men that seemed to be in his mid-twenties (and of course dressed for the event) had tapped my shoulder and was smiling at me. He wasn't very tall and I could see that he had brown spiky hair and a smirky smile.

"Sorry for my rudeness, milady." He said bowing and playing the gentleman. "Would you offer me your name?" He took my hand and planted a kiss on the back of it. I smiled awkwardly as I answered.

"Isn't the whole point, not to tell?"

"I was hoping to catch you off guard. Too bad for me. But I am aloud to guess, right?"

"Yeah, I suppose you are." I answered.

"Well, as I try, you wouldn't mind dancing with me."

I had nothing else to do. "Sure, but I'm warning you. I learned the waltz yesterday."

He laughed and handed out his hand. I gave him mine and he lead me to the dance floor. Thank god Krista had taught me the basics yesterday. I wouldn't look like an idiot. Although, I did end up stepping on his foot at some point.

"Sorry."

"No worries. The best way to learn is to practice. Besides, I don't mind a pretty girl like you doing it."

"Okay, are you telling me that you approached me just for my good looks?" I said raising an eyebrow.

"Well, you have to admit it's a bit difficult to approach people for other reasons when you don't know who they are. But I did feel a good vibe coming from you."

"True that. But I'm sure you'd be able to recognize people you know even if they do wear a mask."

"Also true." He said smiling. "So let me guess. You seem quite young. Around twenty I suppose? Maybe younger?"

"Close." I replied.

"With those jewels and this gorgeous dress, I'm thinking maybe you're one of the King's daughters."

"None of the King's daughters has ginger hair. They probably dance better than me. And besides the royal family hasn't arrived yet."

"So, either you're someone else's daughter here or you yourself have inherited quite a bit."

"Neither."

"Ah, this is getting difficult. Then... you were invited by someone."

"Bingo."

"It has to be someone who would be aloud to give you an invitation, so probably a member of the royal family or someone very close to them."

I was about to answer when his voice spoke again in my ear. _"Careful to what you're saying kid. Remember why we're here."_ 'Great. Can't have a normal conversation without him butting in.'

"Maybe, but that won't help you figure out who I am. In this kind of crowd, I'm a nobody."

"Don't say that just because you're not part of the rich and spoiled."

'Huh, what do you know? Looks like he isn't trying to suck up to me for money at least.' "Thanks."

He opened his mouth to say something else, but then someone announced from the balcony. "Ladies and gentlemen. The Reiss family."

Everyone turned to look at the balcony. The family came out all dressed in nice clothes and wearing masks of course. All of them except Krista. The 'bastard child' wasn't aloud to be part of the family's official presentations. Her step mother hated her. I really didn't like that. It was the King's fault for being unfaithful to his wife, not Krista's. She made it clear that Krista was not part of the family. Although she seemed to get along with her big sister Freida. 'It's kind of pointless to make a mascaraed if you just announce who the royal family is.'

Something then pocked my shoulder from behind. I turned around. A short blond girl wearing a mask was smiling at me. "Having fun?" She asked.

"As if. I've been almost an hour and I still have half an hour to go."

"At least you danced with someone."

"Yeah, some random guy that hit on me just because I have a pretty dress."

"Stop acting like Ymir. You know you love the dress."

"The dress yes. The reason I'm wearing it, no."

"Why don't you at least try to enjoy yourself?"

"The little lady is right." Said my dance partner. "You should learn to loosen up." He turned to Krista. "And I'm guessing that is the friend that invited you, miss butterfly. Judging from your size and hair color, it's pretty obvious that you are Historia Reiss."

"How could you possibly tell?" Replied my small friend sarcastically.

Someone dressed as a butler approached us. "Champaign sir, ladies?"

I had to bite my lips to keep myself from laughing. Connie was dressed like a butler but his haircut was kind of ruining the whole thing. Krista elbowed me in the ribs and then replied. "No thank you, sir."

Connie bowed and offered one to the man who took one and then walked away.

"Can you excuse us for a second, please?" Asked Krista to the man while grabbing my arm.

"As long as you don't take her away for the entire evening." He replied smiling.

Krista pulled me close to a window. "The others are all connected. Eld, Connie, Mina and Nanaba have placed the cameras in all the angles Petra found. What do you want us to do now, Captain?"

" _You know almost everyone here, don't you? Place yourself somewhere you can see all of them on the balcony. When they take off their masks, I'll ask you details about the ones that fit the three bastards's heights and age."_

"Why heights?" Asked Krista.

I answered instead of him. "Height is the thing you can't change about yourself even if you've had plastic surgery."

"Got it." Replied my small friend. "Wait, how are you gonna be able to tell?"

" _The program can calculate that too. Petra, as discussed, you'll approach the people up close and try to get them to talk about themselves. Hanji will be guiding you on what to say."_

"You're really making me do this?" I said sighing.

" _Stop complaining kid. Do your job."_

"Well, we still have a little time." Said Krista before turning to me and smiling. "We've ordered the best flying nuns in the city."

" _HUH? You have to bring me some!"_ Shouted Sasha's voice in our ears.

"Sasha, don't shout! We're not deaf." I said looking around to make sure no one had heard that.

Krista and I walked over to the buffet table and helped ourselves out to some pastries. It was divinely delicious.

"This is so good."

"Bet Amanda can make them better."

"Of course she can, she's Amanda."

We casually chatted as we were waiting for the time. When midnight finally came, everyone gathered in the middle of the room. I joined the crowd and Krista went up to the balcony with the royal family. 'Like I said. No point in hiding your face if you're just gonna point out who you are.' I thought. I looked at the corner of the rooms. The cameras were set all around the room. All the guards were outside, so no one had actually noticed us placing them. 'Talk about a lack of security for a gathering of rich and important. Even if we did be careful, this was way too easy. If Tim had been the one supervising, security would be way tighter.'

"Ladies and gentlemen. Time for the countdown. You may remove your masks in ten... nine... eight... seven... six... five..."

Everyone started counting down and when we reached zero and the clock rang, people took their masks off. I took off the butterfly mask and then... I saw him. Standing in a corner, with a small group of people. He took off the mask he was wearing completely. I could not be wrong. I quickly turned around and started walking over to the farthest end of the room from him.

" _Petra, what are you doing?"_ Said Levi's voice in my ears.

"Hiding. Tim is here."

" _Who?"_

"My foster dad! I can't let him see me!"

I hid behind a pillar and looked back to survey. He looked just as bad as he did a couple days ago at the family dinner. He was talking with the other men with him.

" _What's on your mind kid?"_

"He told Amanda and I that he was suppose to be working on some crazy top secret project. What the hell is he doing here? He doesn't look like he's working."

" _We can't let him compromise our entire mission. Keep your mask on for now, we'll proceed as usual. If he comes too close, I'll tell you. Stay hidden for now. Now all of you listen up. There are twenty six people here who are about the three bastards's height and age. Krista, tell me what you can about them."_

The angel captain started pointing out the people the computer had detected. Krista scanned the people and gave quick descriptions of what she knew about them. Thanks to her status, she was accustomed to hang out with the 'high ups' of the city and she knew a lot of them. Out of the twenty six, she identified nineteen easily that had been long time workers of the city and had strictly nothing to hide. Most of them didn't even have a city worker status, just rich people who liked to show off their money, and the rest weren't exactly into politics or military. As she was telling the captain everything she knew, I was more busy trying to figure out, what the hell was the reason for Tim's presence. When Krista was done describing the ones she knew, I asked.

"Kris, do you know who the two guys around Tim are?"

" _Let me see... the one with the brown hair is Henry Aust. He's a young businessman that recently arrived in town to do business with the castle. And the one with the black hair... I have no idea who that is."_

"As long as Tim's here, I can't move." I said. "What do I do?"

" _We've got five people left on the list. Go talk to them."_ Said Eld's voice.

"I can't. You think my own father won't recognize me even I'm wearing a mask?"

" _Stay put kid. Change of plan. We'll wait for them to come out and interrogate them."_

I was about to walk even further away when the entire hall suddenly turned dark and the music stopped playing. All the lights had gone out all at once. "What the heck? Krista was that in the program of the evening?"

" _No. Definitely not. Miss Hanji, can you see anything on camera? "_

" _Looks like five of our seven candidates are quickly exiting the hall by three different exits, after suspiciously talking with each other. What do we do Captain?"_

" _Outside teams, catch them now!" Said Levi. "Petra, Krista, Mikasa, Sasha. Stay here and make sure no one else leaves."_

"That escalated quickly."

I stayed there leaning against my pillar, thinking about why had Tim lied to us. He never lied to us. And by never, I mean never. Even if it had something to do with top secret work or whatever he'd just say it to our face. What was that? It was pissing me off more than anything. I felt someone lean on the other side of the pillar.

"Looks like it's complete mystery night now, isn't it miss butterfly?" Said the voice of my dance partner.

"Oh, it's you."

"That's not a very nice reaction. I did notice that you din't take off your mask. Did you see someone here that you don't want to meet. A boyfriend maybe?"

"Huh? What makes you say that? I just really like my mask. And I don't want to show my face to this kind of crowd." I quickly said, thinking of a good excuse. But he didn't stop there.

"Or maybe you weren't expecting your daddy to be here." He whispered.

How the hell? Who was this guy? How did he know?

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue, love? Or did I guess right?"

'That was guessing? This guy was creepy as hell. "Actually, you're wrong."

He chuckled. Where had I heard that laugh before? Not just that, his presence was familiar and disturbing.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"You'll see soon enough. Say, when the lights turn back on, you might want to keep an eye on your father."

"What?"

The lights soon came back on and someone apologized for the blackout. I looked around the pillar, but the guy was gone. I looked around the whole room. He had vanished. 'Good riddance. Talk about creepy.' But when I looked at where Tim and the two other man had been standing, it was empty. I looked around the hall and searched, until I saw them going through a door that lead deeper into the castle. 'Even Tim shouldn't be aloud access there. Something's fishy'. I made my way through the crowd and to that small door. I pushed it open. It lead to a small, dark hallway with a staircase at the end of it. I walked through and went down the stairs. There was a big double door there. I pushed it and surprisingly enough, it opened. And I found myself in the royal inner garden. 'You've gotta be kidding. It's that easily found?' I then saw the two men and Tim going through another door on the other part of the castle facing the one I just came out of. Again, I crossed the garden and followed, cursing my dress for slowing me down. This time, the door they'd gone through was locked. I brought my hand up to my hair and took one of the pins out. Picking locks with Ymir had been one of my habits at some point. I also got rid of my heels and threw them in a bush of the garden before entering. Again, it was a dark hallway with a door at the end. This one however was open. I stepped in. It was a dark room with an old chimney and wooden table inside. There were a bunch of old clothes and shoes pilled up on it, as well as big sandbags in a corner. And the room reeked.

"What the hell? Where are they. There's not even a window in this room." I stopped for a second. "And if there's no way out, then... don't tell me it's something so cliché like a trap door or something... First things first, I need to get out of this dress. Sorry Nanaba."

She's had actually managed to hide my uniform inside the dress's fabric. But I had to rip it to get them back. Which I did. I had everything, except my shoes. Lucky for me, one of the pair of boots in the room was just my size. As I dressed up, I thought about the Scouts. The mission had been drastically altered and all the preparation had almost been for nothing but it seemed like they had everything they wanted. And as a certain sadistic captai would say 'adaptation is crucial for survival'. And good, I was too busy thinking about my 'family problems' to care about anything else right now. Once all dressed I started looking around the room. They couldn't have just vanished. The chimney was the obvious spot so I started looking for a hidden button ore something. And I failed.

"Shit! Damn it! Where did you go?"

"Why don't you just ask?" Said a familiar voice.

I nearly jumped out of my skin and turned around. The young man I had danced with was standing in the doorway. He was still wearing his mask and his costume. And he was still wearing that smile.

"I've been waiting a long time for this. You can't imagine how glad I am."

"Who are you?" I suddenly felt very uneasy. This guy obviously knew me and I was pretty sure I knew who he was too.

"You and I will get a chance to have a long talk when you wake up." That manipulative voice... That piercing glare...

I reached for my knife when Krista's voice spoke in my ear.

" _Petra, where are you? I can't see you anymore. Are you still in the hall?"_

"KRIS..." I started shouting, when I felt something like a needle sting me on the neck. My vision instantly got blurry and I lost consciousness before I even hit the ground.

* * *

 **Oh oh! What's going on? Who knows? (Except me of course, hihi!) PLEASE REVIEW! Next chapter, guess who's back?**


	15. Chapter 15

**HEY GUYS! Sorry for leaving you on such a mean cliffhanger... and also because this one is about to be worse... Never mind! Enjoy!**

* * *

When I woke up, I had the worst headache ever. It took me some time to remember what happened and for my eyes to adjust to the dim lighting of the room. I was in a small room without windows and it seemed to be completely made out of concrete. A single light bulb was hanging from the ceiling and barely lighting the room. There was also a metal door. I was in a chair. My wrists were tied together behind it with cables. My upper body was also tied to the chair, and my ankles to the chair's legs. Let me tell you, I was more than a little freaking out.

'I have to get out of here. That guy can come back anytime.' I thought.

I tried to wiggle to get out of the cables on surrounding my shoulders. I had to try and grab my knifes that were in my belt buckle or the one in the pocket of my left thigh. That didn't work. So I managed to grab a piece of the cable in between my teeth and started chewing on it. 'Now I wish I was an angel.' I mentally grumbled as I worked on that cable. It took me at least twenty minutes to get it to break. Once it fell down, I wiggled in my chair until it fell down. I landed heavily on my right arm and bit back a grunt to avoid making more noise. Then I managed to bend just enough to grab the knife of my thigh pocket with my teeth. I dropped it on the floor behind me and picked it up with my hands. I managed to quickly cut the cables around my wrists. A little too hastily maybe, I managed to cut myself on the palm near the thumb. 'Shit.' I internally cursed, forbidding myself to make anymore noise. Once done with my hands, I quickly freed my ankles. I took a small medical band and tied it around my hand. Every uniform had one. While moving around to get my blood circulating again, I realized that my collar was gone. 'What the... oh yeah. I threw it away with my shoes so they wouldn't follow me.' I took a deep breath and walked over to the door. I placed my ear on it. No one seemed to be there. I grabbed the handle to open it. Of course it was locked. I grabbed one of my hair pins that I somehow still had. 'I never thought a weird habit I got from Ymir would come in so handy so many times in such a short amount of time.' The lock seemed to be quite old and rusty, so it took me a while to finally, unlock it. I peeked outside and saw that no one was here. The hallways seemed to be kind of like the inside of the room I was just in. No windows, terrible lighting and made of concrete. I picked a direction and walked around in a bunch of hallways, trying to find a way out when I heard some quick footsteps noises and then a couple voices.

"She managed to escape!"

"We have to catch her before he finds out, or he'll feed us to the monsters."

Adrenaline came up to my brain in half a second and I started running in the hallways, desperatly looking for a door. I reached a dead end with another metal door, much bigger than the one from the small room. Hearing the footsteps get closer, I didn't hesitate and opened it, got in and shut the door close behind me, locking it. I then pressed my ear against it and listened. I heard a pair of foosteps getting closer and stopping in front of the door.

"You think she went in there?"

"You're kidding right? That door is always locked and one peek inside would make you run back out in a second. Let's go see the garage."

I heard them turn back and sighed. I then turned around and froze. My eyes widened in horror. This place was huge and full of cylinder shaped water tanks, filled with greenish water. And inside were humans. They seemed to be asleep, but thousands of cables were linking their body to external tubs on the side, filled with questionable stuff. There seemed to be at least a fifty of them in this room alone.

"What the hell... is going on here?"

In betweens the rows of tanks, there were some tables with medical and scientific tools all over as well as a lot of papers. I grabbed some and tried to make something out of it, but science wasn't my forte. I couldn't make anything of it. But I did catch one thing. Each paper was signed Grisha Jaeger.

"Oh my god. Levi was right! They have started their project again."

I looked at the people in the tanks. They looked like they were between seventeen and twenty at the most. They were just kids. Had Levi and all the others been in these aquariums for a decade? What goes on through your head as you endlessly float like that? How much pain do you feel from the stuff being injected inside you, as you slowly become a monster? I approached one tank and looked at the control board. I wanted nothing more than to free these people, but I wasn't qualified to touch whatever that was. I might make it worse and accidentally kill them. I kept looking at the papers on the tables but couldn't make anything out of it. I didn't realize that, I 'd arrived at the end of the tables, further into the room. Then I heard some sort of low, regular growl. I slowly turned my head to see what it was. Close to the wall, there was a young man. A teenage boy that looked younger than me. Fifteen, sixteen years old maybe. He was on his knees on the ground. His ankled were chained to it. His arms were held up by more chains that were linked to opposite sides of the wall behind him. His head was down as if he was sleeping, but his breathing did sound like the growl of a sleeping beast. He was wearing a dirty yellowish white shirt a bit too big for him and brown pants shredded a bit over the ankles. It looked like it had been scratched off. And the boy had a lot of wounds and bruises. Old ones and recent ones. The bags under his eyes were visible and his sleep was not peaceful at all. I could almost see his body shaking. To top it all off he had a metal gag in his mouth, tied behind his head with leather straps. The kind of stuff you use to keep animals from biting. Was this guy part of the experiment? If so, then what was he doing out of a tank? Maybe he was a finished project? I carefully got closer to him. But when I was a step away, he suddenly lifted his head and threw me a murderous glare with his turquoise blue eyes. He sprang up to his feet as if he was about to throw himself on me, but his chains kept him from going any further. Still, that didn't keeping me from nearly jumping out of my skin and falling on my back. I stared at him, paralyzed by fear and panting more than if I had run a hundred miles. He stood there and stared at me with those murderous eyes and was growling as if he wanted to rip my throat out. But after seeing my reaction, he seemed to look surprised and gave me a confused look. He then closed his eyes and sniffed the air, before reopening them and looking even more surprised. We just stared at each other for a while, until I slowly stood up again. I was about to say something when he lifted his head as if he'd heard something. Then with a panicked look and big signs of the head, he told me to hide somewhere. I didn't understand until I heard the sound of the metallic door opening. I didn't think twice about it and ran to hide behind one of the tanks. I heard two people walk into the room and talking. I saw that both were wearing lab coats. The boy was on his knees again pretending to sleep.

"Man, I can't believe this. How come you always forget the final tests report? You know how important they are for the boss."

"It's not my fault! I always forget where I put them. With Jaegers papers everywhere, it's impossible to find anything. I wish I could burn them all."

"Yeah me too. Here it is. Don't loose it this time."

"Yeah. Oh wait, we have to test that again." Said the first one pointing to the boy.

"Oh right. It's your turn."

"Damn it."

The man approached the boy and kicked him in the stomach. "Wake up, freak."

I brought my hands to my mouth in shock and to keep myself from making any sound. The boy coughed and gave the man a murderous glare. The man grabbed him by the hair and pulled on it really hard.

"I guess this means you're still not willing to give up?" Instead of an answer he got a menacing growl. "Fine. You can starve to death." He punched him in the face and the boy grunted again. He then took a syringe out of nowhere and stung the boy in the neck with it. "Come on let's go. I can't believe the boss actually wants to keep that freak around."

The two men excited the room and I heard the metal door get locked. I got out from my hiding spot and went back to where the boy was. His breathing was heavy again. That's when I noticed that it was familiar. I had heard that strangled breath before. Just before Sasha had her spasms. She'd make that sort of noise. This guy was definitely an angel. The boy looked at me with intense eyes that also showed exhaustion. With big movements of the head he showed me the door to tell me to go. But instead, I walked over to him and knelt down in front of him. I undid the buckle of the metal gag and took it out of his mouth. The second it was out, the boy took a really deep breath and panted, tongue out. His lips...no, his entire mouth was crazy was like he couldn't even speak. I stood up and looked for a syringe on the table. If the papers were everywhere, the tools seemed to be properly put away. I found a set of clean ones and took one. I drew some blood from my arm and then emptied the red liquid in a small recipient. I brought it to the boy and helped him drink it. He swallowed it in one gulp and then licked the recipient until there was nothing left. As he did that I saw his fangs stretch out. Once done his breathing became quieter and he seemed relieved.

"Are you feeling better?" I asked.

"You have to get out of here. If they find you, they'll kill you." He suddenly said.

"I can't leave you here. There must be a key to your chains."

"Forget it. They just gave me a dose of tranquilizer. In five minutes, I'll be out like a light."

"Did Jeager do this to you?"

He gave me a surprised look. "He was killed years ago, when the angel project failed."

"He's dead? What about Nile Dok and Kitts Woerman?"

"I don't know. I've been in this lab for too long. Dok comes down sometimes to supervise things. You smell like angels, but you're not one."

"It's a long story. Do you know where we are?"

"No. You have to leave now. The lab doesn't lead anywhere, you have to find the garage."

I sighed. "What's your name?"

"Eren."

"I'm Petra. And I'm gonna find a way to get you out of these." I took one of my hairpins out and started to work on the lock of his chain.

"I told you, forget it! In a few minutes I'll be asleep, you're not gonna carry me around. Get going before someone catches you!" He snapped.

I stopped and stared at him. I didn't want to leave him here like this. How long had he been here? How much beatings had he taken? How long has he been starved like this? There was still an immense determination shining in his eyes.

"One last question. How long have you been an angel?"

"I'm not. I'm a Titan."

"A what?"

"The new project is called Titan. That's what we are."

"What's the difference?"

"Titans are a lot stronger, but they only feed on blood. They're also completely out of control. I'm one of the few who can still have a normal conversation. The others can't even speak."

My eyes widened in horror. "How many..."

Before I could even finish my sentence, I felt something sting my neck and just like last time, I fainted before I felt the ground hitting me.

* * *

My head was hurting. My back was hurting. My legs and arms were numb. I didn't feel like I could move . My whole body was aching and I was paralyzed. That's how I felt when my consciousness slowly came back. I soon realized that I was sitting in a chair. No wonder my back hurt so much. I could feel the cold ground with my feet. It seemed my shoes had been taken this time. I could also feel the cold on my arms and neck. My jacket had also been taken. Lastly, I could feel some sort of metal bracelets on both of my wrists. Both linked by a chain. It took some time for my brain to process all this information. My eyes finally opened, and my blurry vision faded slowly. But there wasn't much to look at. I was in almost complete darkness. There was a blindfold covering my eyes. All I could tell is that I was sitting on a metal chair and that my hands were handcuffed behind my back. I was freezing and scared out of my mind. I didn't have my jacket anymore, so there was no way I could have a knife or something to get out of the cuffs. I also felt that my hair was loose. Someone had taken my pins out and I couldn't use them either. I did uselessly try to pull on the chain to try and break it but of course that didn't work.

'Damn it. What do I do now?And who the hell was that guy?'

I was getting seriously scared. I couldn't do anything. I was a technician, not a ninja. Much less an angel. I bet any of them could just break these chains and make a hole in the wall to escape.

'Ymir and the others must be so worried. Not to mention Tim and Amanda. Who knows how long I've been here. I'd have to come back with one hell of an excuse. If I ever come back...'

I felt myself shivering and I was guessing it wasn't only from the cold. If he saw me now, Levi would probably tell me I was pathetic. And he'd scold me for messing up the mission. My heartbeat had a nervous rate now, and if somebody suddenly came out and shouted 'boo', I would probably have a heart attack.

"Boo."

"AH!" I let out a frightened scream and would probably have hit my head on the ceiling if my chains hadn't kept me attached to the chair. Something had grabbed my shoulders from behind. I felt like my heart was going to explode in my chest. "Who's there?" I asked.

"Nice reaction." Replied a chuckling masculine voice. "Don't worry, it's just me."

'My dance partner.' "All the reason more why I should worry. Who are you, really? What do you want with me?"

"Well first off, I was thrilled to meet you again. Up until now I thought fate was inexistent but I'm starting to seriously wonder. Have you thought about me in those years we were apart Petra?"

"How do you know my name?"

"You gave it to me, remember?" I felt him walk in front of my and a hand grabbed my chin. I could feel his breath on my face when he spoke again. "I wonder if you still taste like strawberries."

I froze. "You're that guy! The one that jumped from the roof two years ago."

"Bingo. Took you long enough."

"What do you want with me?"

"I can't say for sure just yet. First off, we need to have a little talk with my bosses. If we decide you can live, you and I are going to be together for a while. They'll be here soon."

This guy made no sense at all. What was his problem? I heard him walk around the room and move a few things. That was not reassuring me at all. Then I heard the opening sound of a metal door. A couple of footsteps were heard and the door was shut again.

"Why did you call us here?" Said a new masculine voice. "Who is that?"

"That, is a girl, Woerman."

Woerman? As in Kitts Woerman? These guys were the ones the Scouts were hunting down. Only two of them and my kidnapper was too young to be the third one. 'Jeager must really be dead.'

"Enough games, Lucifer." Said a third voice.

"Tell HIM to come in."

The door opened again and someone else entered. "What the...?" Said a very familiar voice this time. It was Timothy's voice. I was too shocked to answer.

"You know this girl, Mr Kiler?" Asked my dance partner who's name was apparently Lucifer.

"No, I was simply wondering what she is doing here..."

"Very well." I heard him get closer. He placed a hand on my shoulder and placed himself behind me. I felt his arm circle my neck. "In this case, we have no use for her."

His grip suddenly tightened and he started strangling me. With my hands tied, I couldn't even try to defend myself. His strength was insane.

"NO, STOP!" Shouted Tim.

"Something you want to tell us, Mr Kiler?" Asked Lucifer calmly and without loosening his grip.

"She's my foster daughter. Please, let her go!"

He suddenly let me go and I violently coughed to catch my breath. I thought for a moment that I was going to cough my lungs out. And it took me several minutes to stop shaking after that. Even Levi's beatings weren't nearly as scary as that.

"Tim, what's going on?" I asked with a panicked voice.

"It's gonna be okay Petra. I promise." His voice was unsure and he was trying his best to sound convincing. But he really wasn't. And the other guy was not helping.

"That remains to be seen, Mr Kiler." Continued Lucifer. "Tell me, how is it that your daughter was at the meeting place just when you happened to be there?"

"I swear on my life, I didn't tell her anything. She doesn't know. She probably followed me."

"I believe you. And no she didn't. She didn't know you were here until she got there herself. I'll tell you why she was here though. Your daughter was looking for us. She works with the Scouts."

How in the world did this guy know that? There was a long moment of silence in the room. Tim was probably too stunned to say anything. Kitts Woerman spoke again.

"Did you question her?"

"Not yet. I will. Don't worry Mr Kiler. We'll take care of your daughter while you keep doing what you're told. If anything goes wrong though, remember we know where your wife and kids are."

"You keep your dirty hands away from them bastard!" I shouted almost automatically.

"Looks like she can bark after all." Chuckled the young man. "Did we make ourselves clear, Mr Kiler?"

"Yes."

"Good. You can go back to work. I'm gonna take good care of Petra for you. And you better not mess up this time."

"Understood. But let me tell you that if you so much as put a scratch on her, I will kill you." Now that was determined.

"Scary." Stated the young man ironically.

Tim spoke to me once more. "You're going to be alright Petra. I promise, everything will be fine."

"Where are Amanda and the kids?"

"They're fine. They don't know about any of this."

"Alright, that's enough." Interrupted the third man who's name I didn't catch. But I was certain it was Dok. "Kiler, get back to work."

I heard the door open and Tim started walking out. "Make sure Amanda and the kids are safe, Tim!" I managed to shout before the door closed again. My kidnapper spoke again.

"You're something else. You worry about others when you should be worrying about yourself."

"Why are you guys threatening Tim?" I asked.

The unamed man slapped me so hard that I felt my nose bleed and leak over my mouth and chin. "I'm the one asking the questions here." He snapped.

"Actually, you're suppose to be supervising you-know-what now." Said my kidnapper. "Now that he's out of the picture, you're in charge. Leave the interrogation to me."

"Don't get cocky because you're an angel, Lucifer. You still answer to me."

"Yeah I do. So let me do my job, Dok. And stop calling me by that name."

"Fine. When you're done, kill her."

I heard the door open and close loudly again. I gulped and started trembling again. These guys were using Tim for some reason. It was probably because of his job, but why exactly? Also, they seemed aware that the Scouts were on their tail. I heard that guy et closer to me again.

"Let's begin, shall we?"

"I'm not telling you anything."

"You don't have to. I know you don't know anything important."

I was confused. "What?"

"I know everything the Scouts know. And therefore what you know. I still can't get over the fact that we found each other in this context."

"If you know everything, why are you suppose to interrogate me?"

"I'm not interrogating you. I'm just savoring this moment. I was always hoping to see you again."

"You're an angel right? That means you're a victim of the first project... why are you helping the people who stole ten years of your life?"

He sounded serious this time. "Well technically, I'm not part of the angel project. I was born from another project that derived from the first one. The Lucifer project."

"Still, why do you help them? It makes no sense."

"I don't expect you to understand my motivations. But that doesn't really matter." I felt grab my chin and lift my head up a bit. "We should clean you up a bit."

I felt his warm breath on my face before something warm and wet trailed from the bottom of my chin, over my mouth all the way to the tip of my knows. He licked the blood of my face while I shook in fear.

"You're blood's good." Commented the angel while licking his lips. "What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?"

"You're so … weird."

"Why? Because I enjoy myself? Unlike some people, I don't have a problem showing my feelings. They should loosen up sometimes." He still had a serious voice when he said that. "Well, I'm still hungry. Try not to mind me too much."

He chuckled and walked behind me. I heard him kneel down and take the medical band off my hand. The one I'd cut with the knife. I felt him lick the wound, which made me tense up. Then I felt his fangs enter my skin.

"AH!" I let out. He silently drank from my hand for a long while, while I was panting. My notion of time was disrupted, so I had no idea how long he drank and how much. When he finally pulled away, I let out a sound of relief.

"You sound relieved. Well, I've been gentle. Some day, I'll drink from you until you pass out. You'll see how scary that is. Not as painful as a first bite though, was it?" He said before slowly trailing his tongue over the wound again. I bit my lips to avoid making any noise, wondering how he knew I'd already been bitten. He snickered. "You're so cute."

"Who are you? And what do you want with me?"

"You know who I am Petra, you just don't know it's me yet. As for why I want you I told you. I'm not sure yet. You interest me."

"But why?"

"For starters, your scent."

"What?"

"You kind of smell like me." He came closer and grabbed a lock of my hair that he smelled passionately. That sent shivers down my spine.

"Stop touching me!" I protested. Although it sounded more like a plea than an order.

"Tell me something. Do you still sleep with that picture of your parents under your pillow?"

What the...? How the hell did he know that? "How in the world...?"

"How? Why do you ask? I've been to your house. More than a couple times. More specifically in your room."

"Who the hell are you?"

"I already told you. You know me Petra."

I felt him grab the blindfold and take it off me. I blinked a couple times as my eyes adjusted to the light. I saw shadow gradually getting clearer...and then, when it all became clear, my eyes widened and I stopped breathing...

"No...no, it's impossible..."

* * *

 **Scout's HQ**

"I can't believe all the guys we caught were all petty time thieves! How could we be mistaken like that?" Complained Hanji.

"That's not the worst of it." Continued Gunther. "All our other suspects are all clear as well. The mission was a complete failure."

"Can we stop about the freakin' mission?" Shouted Ymir. "Petra's missing! She completely vanished! Her tracker was ditched. You mind being a little concerned about that?"

"Ymir is right. We have to find her!" Said Marco.

"Not to be insensitive or anything." Said Oluo. "But we got bigger problems than looking for a missing tracker."

"You bastard!" Said Jean.

"I'm afraid he's right." Said Eld. "The plan was messed up because those guys wanted it to fail. Which means they've been on to us since the beginning."

"What about Petra?" Exclaimed Krista. "She just disappeared like that?"

"Everyone please calm down." Ordered Erwin. "Fighting amongst ourselves won't solve anything. And where in the world is Levi? He's disappeared since last night."

* * *

A short stature...yet an impressively muscular built...straight short black hair roughly cut...a black gothic black uniform... sharp piercing grey eyes that could see through anything... I couldn't believe my eyes. This couldn't be true... but how could I be wrong...? There was just...no way... Getting this single word out of my mouth was torture.

"Levi?"

As I said that, my voice trembling more than ever.

* * *

 **Hope you guys liked it! And sorry again for the cliffhanger (I realize I tend to do that a lot lately)! PLEASE REVIEW!**


	16. Chapter 16

**I AM SO SORRY! I realized that I haven't posted anything in over a month so you have my deepest apologies! I hope you'll like this chapter : things do get complicated so if you're confused by the end of it, it's normal!**

 **Enjoy**

* * *

"It's not possible. I have to be dreaming. This can't be real. You can't be him."

My thoughts were going around in my mind at a sickening speed. Nothing was clear. I doubted my own logic and my sensations. So much that it made me want to throw up. My heart was beating so fast, it could have fallen out of my chest. Everything was so unclear, unreal. I couldn't make out the difference between dream and reality. My breathing was so fast, I felt like I was hyperventilating. It was like something was choking me from the inside out.

"Petra."

I felt him grab my head in his hands and make me look at him. Those sharp grey eyes, this raven black hair... Truth was staring me right in the face, but it just couldn't be. That smile... it didn't belong to that face.

"Why don't you calm down a little? At this point you're gonna end up passing out. And I really want you to stay with me."

"It's a lie. You can't be him. It's not possible." I said shutting my eyes and shaking my head.

"Why not? Did you ever trust me for real?" He was very serious. "You never knew me."

"It's just not right. Nothing makes sense."

He chuckled. "I didn't know you'd fall so hard for my little act. Or maybe you're a masochist and you like it when I hit you, and treat you like garbage? Sorry about all of that by the way." He let go off me and took another chair that was in the room. He sat on it backwards facing me.

"Why would you betray them?" I asked. "It doesn't add up, you were a victim of the project, just like they were!"

"I already told you, I was born from another project. Project Lucifer. Just the name suggest that I was going betray them. They are still useful to us in some way so for now, we let them do as they please, hunting down strays. That is until the new project is completed. Then they'll be a real nuisance."

"Titan project." I muttered.

His grin disappeared. "I see the brat couldn't keep his mouth shut. I'll have to have a little talk with him." He muttered to himself. "What did he tell you?"

Now, those eyes, I was familiar with. Imposing an order while freezing you on the spot. That was a Levi-like thing. I gulped. "N-nothing..."

He suddenly cupped my cheeks with one hand. "You wanna say that a little louder? I couldn't hear you."

"Nothing! He didn't tell me anything!" I quickly said.

If he'd squeezed my jaw any tighter, it would probably crack. "You remember what I told you about lying to me, don't you? So be a good girl and tell me what you know. Before I get angry."

"H-he just told me that Titans were stronger than Angels. I swear that's all!"

He let go and his grin suddenly came back. There was no way in hell this guy was the same person that'd trained me for the past month. It was just not possible. Hold on. That was it!

"You can't be Levi. How would you have managed to be in the ballroom with me and talk to me through an earpiece? It doesn't make sense."

"Don't you read mystery novels? That's the oldest trick in the book. It's called recording."

"But you couldn't have predicted that I would actually see Tim while I was there and that it would throw off the mission. Why did you even take me, if you knew Tim was there?"

"If you remember correctly, I wasn't with you when that happened. As for why I took you on the mission for, maybe for the same reason you're sitting I this chair in handcuffs. I told you I wanted to see you again. The real me that is."

"The real you?"

"Playing that little game with the Scouts is fun, but manipulating them is just too easy. They think, they managed to escape the project... naive brats. They were just prototypes. Bringing you in the game was the best part, I have to admit. It entertained me."

I looked at the ground again He was playing me all along? Not just me, everyone in the Scouts including Erwin and the government? That was just too unreal. This whole thing was making me want to be deaf.

"You're so quiet all of the sudden. Are you shocked?"

"It was just... a game for you? Making these kids believe they had a chance? That they were free?"

This time he sounded very serious. "When you say it like that, it does sound bad, doesn't it? Think about it though, these kids are monsters. Even if they manage to find and stop us, you think the government will allow them to live? They'll still be monsters that hold government secrets. That's considered more dangerous than anything else. The King will find a way to get rid of them. That's the ugly truth. Killed by us or killed by the government, what's the difference? And I was called Project Lucifer. I was meant to betray the Angels. "

It was true that I never knew Levi for real. On the outside he was a cold hearted bastard with a sadistic side who'd do anything to achieve his goal and keep the Heaven Project a secret. Even kill people. I guess under the shell, there could have been anything. But this... this was just too much. Was it possible to be this good at faking? The last thing I would have expected was to find someone like that under the shell. I looked at the ground, my eyes still widened by disbelief.

"Then you're just another mindless puppet?" That question wasn't suppose to come out but it somehow did.

He chuckled again. "That's rich coming from you, little tracker."

I didn't want to talk about this anymore. I've accepted the fact that vampires existed. I've accepted that I was working for the government with a secret organization. I've accepted that I'd never be let go of. But this, I couldn't... for the first time in my life, I wish I didn't know the truth. I didn't want to accept it and yet, it was staring me right in the face.

"What's the matter? Why are you making that face? Did you like it better when I was Levi, savior of the angels? You're adorable. You can keep calling me that. It is my name after all." Again he was serious as he spoke. There was definitely a visible ambiguity in this person. I shook my head.

"If you really played the Scouts all along, then why did you bother training me? And all that stuff about threatening me with death if I strayed, and then that nightmare of a test you made me go through... why? I'm not even a little involved with the Heaven project."

"When I found you, I had to think of some kind of excuse to keep you around. Although until now, I never really had the time to talk normally with you, with my work. Besides you have adorable reactions when you're threatened, it's amusing." He laughed. "You seem to have gotten very attached to the character of my act. Did you feel happy when I started 'trusting' you?"

I lowered my head again as I felt my cheeks heat up a bit. The truth was that I did felt happy. I was proud to have passed the test. And I was happy to have earned something from Levi. But if that Levi didn't exist that meant nothing. I bit my lips in frustration.

"I'll take that as a yes." He grabbed my chin and made me look up. "It's strange though. I can still see the fighting spirit in your eyes. Do you still believe the Scouts will come and save you, maybe? Or that they can even stop us? Without their Captain, they're nothing but lost puppies."

"That's not true!" I shouted, involuntarily giving him a death glare. "They're a lot tougher than they look! You should know that!"

"Of course they are, I trained them. But trust me when I say they'd have no chance against the Titans. They're only brats and Titans are real monsters. Oh well, being this close to their HQ and keeping constant watch always gives us the advantage."

"This close? We're in Sina?"

"That's right. And a lot closer to them than what you might think."

Even closer. I looked around the room and stared at the wall. I also tried to remember what the lab and hallways looked like. Seemed to be entirely made of cement and concrete, with no efforts to make it look nice... and without a single window. We were underground. Just like the Scout's HQ.

"You're also in the Red zone?"

The Red zone was the area in which all the external VIPs from other countries or regions would come to stay and have their important meetings or business. In other words it was highly it was the place where the HQ was. Because underground, were the leftovers of the slave towns and catacombs of ancient times. So aside from the sewers, there was a lot of room to do... a lot of things. An evil smirk appeared on his face and his eyes suddenly seemed to light up. I shivered. I felt like I'd just did something wrong. The way he was staring at me was making me extremely uncomfortable. And an intense feeling of shame was invading my mind.

"Tell me something Petra. Why do you think I brought you in with the Scouts?" He asked.

"How the hell should I know? You're the one that decided to make me your tracker after Hanji took that positive spider-virus out of me."

"Of course." He muttered to himself. " I should have known."

"What are you talking about?"

"Never mind. Well, my beautiful Petra. It's been fun but I've got work to do."

The vampire stood up from his chair and I suddenly remembered he was suppose to send me to the other side. He got closer and kneeled in front of me. He still had that grin on his face. That grin that didn't belong there. He placed his index finger on my throat. His hand was cold and made goose bumps appear on my skin and sent shivers down my spine.

"I'm suppose to take your life but I don't feel like it. I'm not tired of you yet, Petra. So I have a deal for you. How about you agree to work for me? That way I can have a valid excuse for Dok and Woerman to keep you alive."

"Not a chance." I snapped.

"In that case, I guess you'll have to be my feeder."

"A feeder?" I asked, confused.

"You can be so dense. I'm talking about supplying me with blood." I gulped at the way he said blood. He took his hand away and brought his face closer until his nose touched my throat and he sniffed it before planting a kiss on my skin. I flinched.

"S-stop playing with me! Why don't you kill me already?" I said without thinking and regretted it instantly.

"Do you want me to? Should I snap your neck and make it quick or tear out your throat?" I closed my eyes when he showed his fangs and came closer. Then he licked my neck again. "Just kidding. I told you I'm not done with you yet. I wonder why I'm so attracted to you. Maybe it's because we're so similar." He muttered to himself once again, but I heard.

"What are you talking about?"

"I wasn't talking about you. Anyways, I have to go. See you later, Petra."

* * *

 **Scouts HQ**

"We found something!" Shouted Connie, Jean and Sasha while entering the meeting room of the Angels HQ. All the Scouts, except Levi, plus Ymir, Krista, Jean and Marco were in the room sitting around the giant round table. The brunette was carrying a bag that she opened and emptied on the table. Nanaba grabbed the black fabric.

"It's Petra's dress. It's ripped. Meaning she changed into her uniform." Stated the angel. "There's her shoes as well."

Eld stepped forward and grabbed something else. "That's her collar. Her tracker's busted. Like someone stepped on it. Where did you find this?"

"Same as all the other stuff, in a bush in the castle's garden and in some kind of old hunting lodge." Said Sasha.

"Then she got rid of all of this on her own." Said Ymir. "But why?"

"I only see one reason." Said Marco, while looking at the surveillance footage of the camera's taken the night of the ball. "See? On this image we see Timothy and the two people with him before the blackout. Unfortunately, I didn't think it was necessary to have night vision cam, but when the lights are back, the three of them left the room. And right after that, the lights turn back on and we see Petra leaving the room as well through that door. And that's it. She was following Tim."

"Why was Tim here in the first place?" Asked Krista.

"Who knows?" Said Jean. "Orion followed her scent to a door at the other end of the garden, but that one led to some kind of old hunting lodge. That's where we found the busted earpiece. It's where the trail ended though. Not a trace of her after that."

"We had to leave before the guards spotted us." Said Connie. "That's all we found."

"Wait." Said Hanji, grabbing her chin. "Why would Petra intentionally get rid of her tracker?"

"Tracker is easy enough." Replied the pseudo detective. "She didn't want to be followed by you. This was family business. Most of all, I think she didn't want to get Timothy involved in all of this. And remember, Tim was with two of our suspects. Maybe she thought that if there was a chance that Tim was involved with them, she wouldn't want you guys to know. She was protecting him. "

"Then why didn't she get rid of her earpiece?" Asked Krista.

"Probably because she wasn't sure if she'd need to call for help or not. You were the last one on line with her, Kris right?"

"Yeah. I heard her talking with someone and then she called out my name and then nothing." The petite blonde girl looked at the ground and clenched her fists.

"There's also one more thing that's been bothering me." Said Marco, playing with the computer's keyboard to freeze an image and zooming it. "This guy."

"Petra's dance partner?" Said Armin.

"This guy spends his time appearing and disappearing of the room. And when he's in, he's always looking at Petra."

"A stalker you think?"

"More like the guy who probably kidnapped her."

"So you're saying this guy is in league with whoever was with Tim?" Asked Ymir. "You sure about that one sherlock?"

"99% sure. He's the only guest who's not in the room when it blacks out."

"And we're still missing Levi. What happened to him?" Asked Erwin.

"I've been trying to contact him for the past twenty-four hours. He's not responding." Said Hanji. "I know he likes to disappear but this really isn't the time."

"It's unlikely that he's been attacked and killed." The Commander sighed. "Where could he be? In any case, we can't wait for him. We need to keep this going. This crushing failure is proof that we're getting closer to our objective. Historia. Sorry, Krista."

"Yes, sir?"

"You said you recognize one of the two men that were with Timothy Kiler. Who is he?"

"Henry Aust. A businessman that's arrived in town recently to do business with the castle."

"We have to investigate him, since he's the only remaining suspect we have. As well as Timothy Kiler."

"WHAT?" Shouted Ymir and Jean at the same time.

"That's bullshit! Tim isn't involved in that kind of crappy business! He's one of the heads of this city's security system! He wouldn't do shit like that." Said the dog trainer.

"I agree. Tim's a straight lace guy. I know that from experience." Affirmed Ymir.

"There are too many things pointing to be involved in this as well." Said Erwin. "And you'll have to be the ones to investigate him."

"I refuse." Both of them said at once.

"Guys, be reasonable." Said Marco. "Tim is a good guy, we all know that. But he's also a man with a family, which means he has a weakness. He may not be part of this willingly. And if it's the case we have to help him. It's also our only lead to find Petra."

"I agree with Marco." Said Krista. "Petra may not be the only one in danger here."

The knuckleheads looked at each other before lowering their heads. "Ahh, fine." Said Jean.

"It just doesn't feel right lying and spying on the guy. He's always been cool to us." Growled Ymir.

"By doing this you're trying to save her daughter." Said Erwin. "If you owe him, this is one of the best ways to repay him. I know it's hard, but a lot of people depend on us. This entire city even. So focus, kids. We have work to do. Krista, you're the closest to the King, so try to learn more about this Henry Aust."

"Alright."

"Marco, I put you in charge of those two. The three of you have to find a way to get something out of Timothy Kiler."

"Leave it to us, Commander Erwin."

* * *

Why? Why was this happening? Why was Levi's true face this? I hadn't move since he'd left me there. A small puddle of tears had formed at my feet from all the crying. Why was the Levi I met a month ago just a front? He taught me so much. And I was so glad to have been able to see some of his kind side. But he'd turned out to be just a traitor in disguise. I couldn't stand it. Why did my heart ache and hurt so much? Why couldn't I bring myself to believe what was happening to me? I wanted to see Marco. Marco always knew what was right. And Krista. I wanted her to smile and tell me everything was alright. And I wanted Jean to tell me what an idiot I was for crying when all my friends were still there. And I wanted Ymir to hit me on the back of the head And call me a crybaby. I have no idea how many hours had gone by since Lev... Lucifer left. Maybe an entire day had gone by. My notion of time was completely lost. But I was sure my friends were looking for me. My dear friends, the ones that I'd almost lead to their deaths, and who ended up being stuck in the same situation as me. And then we became close to the angels as well. I didn't agree with the Scout's methods, but... these fighters had my respect if anything. And learning that the person they trusted the most has betrayed them made me feel pity and anger for them. And they'll surely be crushed when they learn it. But right now... there was still time.

'That's right. They're still there. They're probably looking for me. Those idiots would get themselves killed looking for me. I can't let them do stupid things. But how can I get free? These handcuffs won't do anything, and I don't have any of my tools anymore. No more hair clips, no more knifes... What can I do? I'm so damn useless!'

I clenched my teeth and bit my lower lip so hard, it almost started bleeding. All of this was too much for me. Then I heard the guards outside scream and sounds of things falling. BAM! The metal door suddenly flew open. I nearly jumped out of my skin. Eren was standing in the doorway, his fist stuck to the door he had just forced open. Blood was dripping from his mouth and I could see the guards on the ground outside. He was panting like crazy and his face was dripping with sweat. He walked towards me stumbling.

"Eren! What are you..."

"Quick, we don't have much time." He said with a raspy voice.

He walked behind me and with a quick move, destroyed my handcuffs with his claws. I got up and rubbed my wrists.

"How did you..."

"Those bastards were testing stuff on me again... I managed to get free..again. I'm completely dosed though. I don't know what weird drug they shot me with this time, but I won't last long. Come on." I followed him out of the room. He walked over to the unconscious (maybe dead) guards and took his bag off his back and handed it over to me. "You know anything about bombs?"

"Basics." I answered.

"Take this, it might be useful." He stood back up painfully. "I still got a little energy left to start a ruckus. It should give you sometime to escape. Find the garage, it's the only way to get out. Get going."

"I can't leave you here."

"I told you, if you take a dead weight with you, you'll never get out."

"You're barely standing! You don't seriously think you can put up a fight in this state? That's nuts!You're coming with me and that's final!"

"You're something else."

I placed the bag on my back and then Eren's arm around my shoulders and held him by the waist on with the other one. Eren told me what he knew about this maze. The garage was supposedly one floor higher. We wandered around the hallways until the boy stopped me. He pressed an ear against the wall. "What are you doing?"

"I can hear the wind."

'His hearing is that good?' We turned a corner, and on the other side were elevator doors. But the things required persuades to be used. "Shit. I guess being quiet is not an option anymore." I said about to grab one of the low amplitude bombs from the bag. But Eren stopped me.

"I have an idea." He grabbed the elevator doors and forced them open as if they'd been swiss cheese. An alarm suddenly went off, but he pressed another floor's button before letting go of the doors that closed again.

"That was your brilliant plan?"

He grabbed my hand and we raced through a couple hallways. 'How can he run when he's on the verge of passing out?' Until he stopped again and placed his ear against the wall again. Then he took the bag and placed one bomb on the wall and activated it. We took a step back until the device exploded and made a big hole in the wall. And the other side... looked like the inside of a gigantic underground cave with metal stairs going up. But they were old and rusty. I would have never stepped on that if the situation wasn't so urgent. Eren leaned against the wall, panting.

"You go... I don't have the energy to run, but I can at least slow them down a bit."

"I told you, screw that!" I placed his arm around my shoulders again and we engaged the rusty iron stairs going up. There was water circulating below us, with a strong current. Not the stuff you wanna fall in. I dragged Eren as fast as I could up a couple stairs and we were pretty high when guards started coming out of the hole we'd made in the wall and climbing after us. I quickly set Eren down, took two other bombs and activated them before throwing them at the first staircases. The first set of staircases crumbled and cut off our pursuers route. Except the iron trail got a lot more unstable and wobbly after the bases were blown off. I had to go much slower and was praying god for the stairs not to fall.

'Oh, my god I'm gonna die.' I thought, as my legs started shaking. Eren was starting to loose strength and he was heavy. I looked up. 'There's no end to these stairs. But there's gotta be something up there. I gotta keep moving before...'

POW!

A bullet came crashing in the stone right in front of my face. I jumped and fell on the ground, dropping Eren in the process. I looked at the opposite side of the cave. Standing on the iron trail, and holding a gun up was Lucifer.

"It's no use running. You know I'll catch you. And I believe that belongs to us." He shouted so that I could hear him over the running water.

Fear grabbed me by the insides again and I quickly picked up Eren again and started running faster up the stair case. We climbed and climbed as fast as we could. Until finally, a small hallway carved in the stone presented itself to us. Without hesitating, I engaged in. But we ended up in a dead end. I took another bomb and blew up the wall. And on the other side... were sewers. Now I just had to find a manhole before he could catch us. Eren growled.

"Hang on, where almost out." I said as I started running in the sewers in a randomly picked direction. But then the titan boy, suddenly fell to the ground and started growling painfully. I knelt down in front of him and tried to help him up.

"Come on Eren, we're almost out of here, please get u...AH!"

The boy suddenly threw himself on me and pushed me down. I felt his claws dig in my shoulders. His eyes were golden and shining in the dark. He opened his mouth and his fangs stretched out. He was panting.

"What are you doing? Get off of me!" I said as I tried to push him away.

"Thirsty..." He replied with a raspy voice. "So thirsty..."

He leaned down towards my neck and opened his mouth more. My eyes widened in terror, when another gunshot was fired and him in the shoulder. Without even a scream the boy, collapsed on top of me. I quickly pushed him away and looked up. Lucifer was standing right in front of us. I quickly got to my feet and faced him, uncertain of what to do. I couldn't fight him.

"You've got a lot of explaining to do." He said frowning.

I took a step back. 'I'm sorry Eren.' I quickly turned away to start running in the other direction, but a strong hand grabbed my wrist. I tried to hit him with my free hand, but he grabbed it with his free one. I grunted and tried to get free, pulling and twisting as hard as I could.

"Let go of me!" I screamed, more terrified than ever.

He suddenly slammed my back against the wall. I grunted at the impact, and kept my eyes shut afraid of what was coming.

"KID! What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Huh?"

I looked up. He was staring at me... with those eyes. Serious, sharp, worried. This guy was... the Levi I knew. Maybe what I felt in that instant was confusion, fear or happiness, I couldn't tell. But an ocean of tears escaped my eyes and I started trembling.

"What's going on?" I asked to nobody in particular. He looked at me confused when...

"Now that's a pain in the ass."

I looked up. Coming out of the hole I'd made with the bomb...was Levi. The one holding me suddenly let go and pulled out his gun.

Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Mirror images of each other, different clothes, holding there guns in the exact same manner. Two of them.

"What the fuck are you?" Asked the Levi next to me.

"I gotta say, I did not expect this moment to happen so soon."

That was about all my psyche could take. My head started spinning and my vision got blurry. I felt to my knees, paralyzed. No strength was left in my body.

'Am I crazy? What on god almighty's earth... What in the world in is happening?'

* * *

 **TOLD YOU SO! Two Levis? What the hell is going on in my head? Wanna find out? Keep reading! ;) And again, sorry for the cliffhanger.**


	17. Chapter 17

**HEY GUYS! I'M BACK (FINALLY) AND WITH A SURPRISE SO THAT YOU'LL FORGIVE ME (AND ALSO CAUSE IT'S** **CHRISTMAS)! I MADE THIS CHAPTER EXTRA LONG AND EXTRA SWEET!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Levi's POV**

The last thing I expected was to find some fucker using my face. That probably meant they'd been on to us from the start. My suspicion got instantly confirmed. Shit. It was like looking at myself in the mirror. No wonder Petra was so freaked out. The kid was trembling from head to toe and looked like she was about to have a heart attack. I caught the smell of her blood over the stench of the sewer and I also spotted a bruise on her face. She'd been hit and not gently. But I couldn't allow myself to get distracted. I focused my attention on my doppelgänger. I couldn't let him get to me.

"I'll ask one more time : what the fuck are you?"

"That's pretty obvious." He replied as if it was the most natural thing in the world. "I'm you. I didn't think I'd get to meet you so early, original. Project Lucifer, at your service."

"So the old bastard finally got on with his cloning project."

"Yes. Unfortunately he deleted all his data before I killed him."

"Jeager is dead?" I asked, suspicious.

"He didn't want to have anything to do with the projects after he realized we were using kidnapped kids. Honestly, I don't see the difference with using loose criminals. I think he didn't appreciate the fact that we also used his own wife for the testing behind his back."

"And your telling me this because you enjoy putting yourself at disadvantage?"

"No. Just to show you it doesn't matter how much you know. You can't stop the project. Granted your the brain of the Scouts. But there's a reason they cloned you. Anything you can think of, I already thought of it. It's no use whacking your brain for nothing. You might as well give up now."

That guy was my clone? Sons of bitches. So that's what Jeager had been up to with that side project. "Kid, can you stand?"

She didn't answer. I could see every inch of her shaking. She must've been fighting to keep herself from passing out. Damn it! If he messed her up this bad, getting out of this situation was going to be a pain in the ass. Especially if this guy really thought like me. To top it all of, my gun was empty. I'd encountered a bunch of berserk angels on the way here. If I tried to reach for my ammo, he'd shoot me. "I don't even think she can hear you. It's a miracle she hasn't passed out yet. I don't know what you did to her but she's a lot tougher than she looks."

"You're the one that bit her."

"Don't act like your offended. I'm basically you, so it doesn't really matter which one of us bites her. It should feel the same. Besides, from what I can tell from your bite mark, you're a greedy eater. Oh well, I might as well kill you now. Too bad. I would have liked to talk a little longer with my original."

I got on guard ready to dodge that first bullet, but when he pulled the trigger, nothing happened.

"Oh, crap."

I didn't wait for him to finish and threw myself on him. My elbow collided with his stomach. He backed off a bit holding his stomach painfully. I circled around him and grabbed him around the neck. "Anyone ever tell you? Karma's a bitch."

"Don't screw with me. Did you already forget? I'm you. Getting out of a hold like this is too easy!"

He threw his heel backwards to collide violently with my shin, and I felt a sharp object penetrate the flesh. I loosened my grip and he suddenly pulled on my arm and sent his foot flying in my side. My shoulder cracked nastily, but that wasn't enough to keep me down. I grabbed a knife and stabbed him in the thigh. He grunted again and backed of. I flipped my knife in my hand ready to engage again but then he wolf whistled. I heard the sound echo in the tunnel. Then I could hear familiar noises. Snarls and growls as well as a sensation of blood thirst. Their stench was even stronger than the brats. They were coming from the tunnel Petra and that freak had come from.

"You can hear them can't you?" He asked, with a serious face. "You have three options : Surrender. Take the two of them, try to save them and die, or pick one and have a slight chance of escaping me."

I didn't hesitate and threw my knife at the light. Angels need only a second to adjust their eyes to the dark, but that second of distraction was all that I needed. I grabbed one of the capsules four-eyes gave me and tossed it at the wall right next to him. The content exploded in his face and I heard the bastard grunt. Looks like pimento powder bombs weren't completely useless after all. I ran back towards the barely conscious Petra and threw her over my shoulders before dashing in the direction where I'd come from, leaving the brat I'd shot on the ground. He looked strangely familiar but I gave no second thoughts to that impression. The priority was getting the kid out of there and figure out what the hell was going on. The sewers could easily mask my scent but not her blood's. I could hear the bastards getting closer.

'Damn it, they're fast.'

I looked at my watch. 4:48am. The sun was going to come up in a couple of hours. If they weren't completely stupid, they wouldn't come out in broad daylight in Sina. But I couldn't afford to wait that long. I wouldn't be able to stall them for two hours with her on my back. I sniffed the air. They were getting closer. I had to get rid of them now, and get her out of there.

"Petra, listen up kid. I don't need you to talk. I just need you to do what I tell you. Understand?"

I felt her flinch a little. At least she could hear me. "You've got bombs in your bag. On the back of my belt there are small closed tubes with red Xs on them. I have tape in my left chest pocket. You follow me?"

Again she didn't reply, but her eyes were looking at me. I didn't look back because I didn't know what kind of reaction the kid would have. I don't know what that guy had done to her, but it was probably the same as if I'd done it to her. I kept going.

"I want you to tape six tubes to two bombs, three on each. And be careful, the tubes are made of glass. You still with me?"

She still didn't answer but I felt her move to take the bombs out of her bag. She was still shaking so much I could feel her against me. I focused on running as fast as I could. I felt her take the tubes and heard the scratching sound of the tape. She didn't even drop one. I was surprised she still had the state of mind to do that.

"Give them to me when you're done." She did and I placed one in my jacket and examined the other one. They seemed to be time bombs. I'd have to calculate the exact time they would catch up to us. That would take too long.

"Kid, do these things have a detonator?"

Again, she moved without answering and then she handed over a small detonator that she'd found in the bag she was carrying. At least now we were getting somewhere. I listened to the footsteps following us.

'At least eight of them. These two will be plenty.'

I stopped five seconds to stick the bombs on each side of the tunnel and shifted the kid to piggyback ride position. I waited for the freaks to get a little closer.

"Hang on tight."

She slowly wrapped her arms around my neck, still shaking but hanged on tightly. I was gonna have to run a lot faster than before to avoid getting caught in the blast. But I had to stay close to calculate the moment of detonation properly. 'Seems getting caught in it is inevitable.'

"Petra, when I tell you to, close your eyes and hold your breath."

I recharged my gun and shot all the lights. Their scent was getting clearer. They finally came in sight. Growling like wild animals. 'Disgusting.' I thought. They got closer. And closer. When they were about thirty meters away, I started running. I counted down in my mind. '5...4...3...2...'

"NOW!" I shouted.

'...0.' I pressed the detonator and the bombs exploded. I felt the heatwaves in my back, which boosted my speed. I heard the angels scream in agony. The blast itself wasn't that strong, but it spread the pimento powder everywhere in the tunnel. It's already nasty when you're a normal human to get that shit in your eyes, but when you're an angel, not only does it blind you, but sniffing it paralyses the sense of smell and also stings like a bitch in the sinuses. I felt my eyes started to sting a little. It was spreading faster than I thought. But I kept running non-stop for another good ten minutes until we finally reached the manhole I was looking for. I climbed the latter. I pushed the round piece of metal open and jumped out. The second we were out, I felt the kid's grip loosen. I crouched down before she could fall and turned to face her.

"Are you alright?"

She was a pale as a ghost. Her eyes seemed lost. She was still shaking like hell and sweating. I realized that she was barefoot and sleeveless. I took off my jacket. She had a slight back off reflex.

"You're gonna freeze to death if you don't put it on."

I placed it around her shoulders. She slowly rose her head and looked at me in the eyes. "Are you... my Levi?"

That question threw me off. The kid was completely confused but after what she'd gone through, it wasn't that surprising. But a second after saying that, her body gave in and she fainted in my arms. I picked her up and kicked the piece of metal back in place. The sun would rise in a couple of hours. We were in a big streets but it was completely empty. I quickly walked through a couple streets and headed towards the Three Roses bar. I knew the old bastard would be awaken. I t was as good a place as any to let her rest. I gave a kick to the door and entered. Lucky no one was in sight, but the old man jumped up, suddenly woken up from his sleep.

"I'M AWAKE, MARTHA!" He shouted.

"Shut up Hannes. I'm not your wife."

"Oh. Levi, it's you. Haven't seen you in a while. Say, ain't that lady a little old to be given a piggy back ride?"

'Tch. Drunk, as usual.' Another man in his thirties came out of a backdoor and walked into the bar.

"Hannes? Who're you with... Levi! What are you doing here man? And who's that?"

"Explanations later Farlan. She's wounded. She needs a bath and bandaging, now."

"Right I'll go wake up Isabelle."

He quickly exited the room while Hannes went to lock the door and close the curtains. Even drunk, the old man was used to the drill.

"Here, let me take her from you." Said the old man. I let him take her off my back. "What about you son? Anything you need?"

"She needs to sleep for a while. I won't go into the details but she's gone through hell. She's probably gonna be in shock state for a little while after that. I'll need time to get her back to normal. I just need a shower and a first aid kit."

"I told you can come ask for help anytime if you're in trouble. But if you're dragging a kid like her in your rough activities, that doesn't sit right with me."

I frowned. Damn Hannes. Acting like he's my old man again. And right now was really not the time. "She wasn't suppose to be there. This brat just likes trouble."

"Right. Anything else you need?"

"Just to make a phone call."

I stepped away to a corner. These guys didn't need to know about Erwin. I turned on my phone. Forty seven missed calls. I rolled my eyes and pressed call back. It rang once.

" _LEVI! For heaven's sake, don't disappear on us like that at such a crucial moment! Do you have any sense of priorities?! This isn't the time to play lone wolf!"_

I pulled the phone away from my ear and waited for him to finish his ranting. "I'm checking in now, Erwin. I found Petra. And that means I couldn't have been too far from their base. I'll send you the coordinates."

" _You did? That's good news. Hold on, have you been looking for her all this time?"_

I ignored that last question. "I also met the side project. It was a clone. My clone."

" _Are you saying Jeager actually was working on that project Lucifer of his?"_

"Yeah, don't let appearances fool you. Just for the record, pass the message that he's stabbed in the left thigh. Anyways, knowing you, you probably already took the situation back in hand and gave the brats new assignments."

" _Yes. Our latest recruits are going to investigate Timothy Kiler and the Lenz girl is going to try to learn more about our last suspect. Do you have any other leads we can work on?"_

"No. I'll try to get some more info out of Petra when she wakes up. It might take a while though. Seeing what she's been through she's gonna need time to get over it. Also, tell the brats to cease the hunts for a little while. At least until I have more info on the matter. I've got a bad feeling about those new angels."

" _All right. I'll let you take care of Petra then. Keep me updated, Levi. That's an order Levi."_

"Yeah, yeah."

"I'm serious Captain." He insisted.

"Yes, Commander." I let out in annoyance before hanging up. I put my phone away and went to sit at the bar. I needed a drink and something strong. I waited for the old man to come back downstairs. He didn't even have to ask and headed directly behind the bar to grab a bottle and pouring a shot glass for me. I didn't ask what it was and just and drank the thing. It burned my throat awfully but that was just what I needed. I asked for another. After a couple more shots, Farlan came back in the bar.

"Isabelle is taking care of her. Her wounds don't look that bad though. Aside from some big bruises and a couple of cuts, she looks fine. Although, she might need stitches for that cut on her hand."

"Thanks Farlan. I owe you one."

"After everything you've done for me, I should be glad to be able to pay you back a little." He replied cheerfully. The guy hadn't changed at all since back then. But for him, it was a lifetime ago. "So, who is she? Girlfriend?"

"She's a brat. Don't be gross." I snapped.

"Are you sure? She looks more like a woman to me."

"Trust me she's a brat who doesn't know how to follow clear orders. You can see the result."

"She works for you?"

"You could say that." I took another shot.

"As what?"

I hit the counter violently when I put the glass down. "Farlan! No questions."

He looked at the ground. "Right, sorry man. It's just been a long time since we've seen you. I guess I get a little carried away."

The door opened, and a short red-haired woman entered. "I washed her and took care of her wounds. I had to stitch up her palm but in general, she's really alright. She's resting in the guest room for now. It's good to see you again big brother."

"You too kid."

She laughed. "It's weird that you'd call me that. I look older than you. I feel like you haven't aged at all in the ten years we were apart from each other. When you showed up again a little while ago, I was so shocked." She wiped a tear that had escaped her eye. "I was so glad you were alive, Levi."

I wanted to reply that I would have been better off dead, but that would only have made her cry for the rest of the night. I caught a small glitter near her left hand and saw that she had two rings on her ring finger. One with a small diamond and a simple golden one. I smiled with a corner of my mouth.

"Well it was about damn time, you two." I said before taking another shot. "Congratulations."

"You were invited, we just didn't know how to get it to you." Said Isabelle pouting.

I rolled my eyes. She was almost twenty-eight and she still acted like a little brat. I couldn't believe that they kept welcoming me here. Sure they didn't know about anything that was going on, but even so. I reappeared out of nowhere after ten years, and they still welcomed me like their boss. After that, I came back here whenever I needed to get away and empty my head of thoughts. They were short visits. Usually just a night, drinking and talking about the past. About once every two months or so. They still didn't mind welcoming the soulless shell I was ever since I'd escaped the lab. Not that hanging out with the brats was a bad thing but... it was different. Here, I could reach the closest state their was to relaxing.

"So, Levi." Said Hannes. "Tell us about her."

"There's nothing to tell."

"We get it. She's part of your new business or whatever it is that you're doing. We're asking what you think of her." Clarified Farlan.

"I hope you're nicer to her than you were to me."

"What's with all of you ganging up on me all of a sudden?" I growled.

"Well, it's the first time you brought someone 'from your new life' here." Said Isabelle. "And she happens to be a pretty girl."

"I don't know what you're thinking, and frankly I don't want to know. No more questions."

"Oh come on. It has nothing to do with the job. Tell us, tell us!" She said jumping up and down.

"What are you, six?"

"Well, I'd have to talk to her first and see if she's good enough for you. Or you for her for that matter." She winked at me.

"It's not like you'll see her again after that. Besides, she's been through a lot. She's not gonna be in her right mind when she wakes up."

A moment of silence went by. They all looked at me with one eyebrow raised. "What?"

"Is that really the best excuse you could find not to talk to us about her?"

"LAY OFF YOU GUYS!" I growled.

* * *

 **Petra's POV**

 _My heart was pounding like a drum. The two shadows were closing in on me on each side. There was nowhere to hide. Nowhere to run. I wanted to scream for help but who to call out to? Then hands rise from the shadows and grab each of my wrists and pulling me down to my knees. Each hand is pulling on my arm like they want to rip them off. And from the shadows, voices call._

" _I'm the real one. Come with me if you want to live." Whispers one._

" _If you don't follow me, I'll kill you." Threatens the other._

" _Leave me alone! Who are you?" I shout helpless._

" _Who am I?" Respond the two voices at once. "What a stupid question. It's me."_

 _And then from the shadows, appears his face._

And then I screamed. I sprang up and panted like crazy as sweat drops dripped from my face. I then realized that I was alone, in a room I didn't recognize. Then I heard someone quickly run up some stairs. The door bursted open. And I saw him. A reflex ordered me to back off, but I missed the edge of the bed and fell down on my back and head hitting the wooden floor harshly. The pain paralyzed me a little and I grabbed the back of my head with both hands trying to contain the pain. He circled around the bed and faced me.

"You alright?"

"Stay back!" I shouted defensively backing up against the wall.

He didn't come any closer and knelt down in front of me. "It's me kid. Calm down."

'That wasn't a dream? They're really were two of them?' I stared at him without blinking. "Prove it. What are the nicknames you give to the none angels you work with?" It was the only thing I could think of. My mind was too blurry, I couldn't think clearly and fear was keeping me from settling down.

"Sherlock, Princess, Freckles, Horse-face, and Kid."

He came closer and grabbed my wrist. I jumped but he didn't let go and gently pulled me up to my feet. Surprisingly, I didn't fall. I thought for sure my whole strength had abandoned me. He asked if I could walk and I nodded. He grabbed a thin cover at the end of the bed and threw it over my shoulders. He led me downstairs, never letting go of my hand. We went through a door that led into what looked like a bar, with a couple tables. No one else was here. The day was up but the blinds of the windows were still closed. Levi took me to a table in a corner and told me to sit there. I did and he disappeared through another door behind the counter. I realized I was only wearing a tank top and pajama pants. I brought my feet up on the bench and hugged my legs. I moved the blinds a little. The streets wasn't that full but cars were crossing it regularly. I had no idea where we were. My mind was a big mess. I couldn't remember anything. Levi came back a couple minutes placed a cup of fuming liquid in front of me. The smell indicated that it was hot chocolate. I grabbed the cup and warmed my hands with it.

"Levi, I..." I started, not even knowing what I was going to say.

"Shut up and drink kid. We'll talk after."

He started drinking from his own cup what I assumed was tea. I shut my mouth and brought the cup to my mouth. The sugary liquid spread a warm sensation in my entire body, waking me up in an instant. I drank to the last drop. It felt so good and I started feeling really hungry. And then my mind started working again. Memories slowly came back. The weird bombs. The two Levis. The cave. The escape with Eren.

"Eren..." I whispered before fully realizing. I set my cup down violently and stood up. "Eren! Where is he?! What happened to him?"

"Calm down kiddo. Sit back down, before you hurt yourself again. And breath." I did what he told me. "Who's Eren?"

"He's the guy that was with me in the sewers."

"The sicko that tried to bite you? I left him there. There's no way I could have carried the two of you out safely."

"He wasn't in his normal state. There's an entire lab down there Levi. There were over fifty weird tanks filled with gross liquid. There were people in there. They had cables connected to them like they were some sort of aliens being studied in a horror movie." I paused and then looked at him. 'Was it like that for them? Had they been stuck in those tanks for ten years?'

"Keep going kid."

"Eren was chained outside. I think they were experimenting stuff on him. I was able to talk to him for a little while. He told me that the project was called Titan."

"Titan?" He frowned. "Anything else?"

"He just said that Titans were a lot stronger than angels. And that they only drink blood. But he also said that they were completely out of control. Apparently only a few of them are able to think normally. He said the others couldn't even talk."

"Wild monsters thirsty for blood. Great. As if we didn't have our hands full enough with the strays. Did he say anything about them being able to control them?"

"He said they were out of control, but...they seemed pretty confident."

"Anything else you can tell me?"

I grabbed my head with my hands and tried to remember. The lab, the undergrounds, the cave... "The guards..."

"What?"

"The guards. They were dressed in military cloths. And their gear... it looked like it was official army stuff."

He made a shit-that's-going-to-be-a-problem' face. I closed my eyes and tried to remember more. There was one more thing, but... I really didn't want to tell him. I opened my mouth but nothing came out. I twisted my fingers together on the table, trying to find a way out of that situation. His hand grabbed one of mine and held it firmly.

"Petra look at me." I did. "Whatever you have to say, it has something to do with your father doesn't it?"

How could this guy read me so easily. "Will you kill him?"

He looked at me with those steel grey eyes, that told me he didn't have the answer yet. I thought about it. Tim was most certainly being forced to work with these guys. There wasn't a doubt in my mind about that.

"I think they're threatening him to kill Amanda, Myra and Alec. I don't know what they're making him do though. I don't even know what he does for a living for sure. I also saw Dok and Woerman! Well, not see technically. But I know they were there."

"Are you sure?"

"One hundred percent."

"Thanks for the help kid."

That really came out of nowhere and completely threw me off. He took out his phone and started writing something. Probably to the Commander or Hanji. I felt my cheeks heat up a little. 'Why am I getting embarrassed over something like that?' I waited for him to be done.

"Petra."

"Yes?"

"Don't move."

He stood up from his seat and leaned over the table. I backed into the wall as far as I could. Something was off. He looked at me with strange eyes. Eyes that seemed to be inspecting my soul itself. I started shaking again and I suddenly felt in danger. He brought his hand up and slowly moved it towards my face. I shut my eyes closed.

"STOP!" I shouted.

I don't know what I was expecting, but it definitely wasn't good. For a second there, the other Levi had been standing right there. Nothing happened for a while, so I reopened my eyes. He'd taken his hand back but he was still leaning over the table. "He bit you didn't he?"

"..."

"I have one last question for you and I want you to think very carefully before you give me an answer. Because I'm going to need one."

He was dead serious as usual, but for him this was almost too gentle a way to ask. My mind instantly went blank. The thought of _this guy_ alone paralyzed me. But he wasn't Levi. Now that I looked at him, I don't think him and Lucifer could have been more different. I almost fell stupid for falling for it. Even if their faces looked exactly alike, they were definitely two different people. And in a way...Lucifer might be even scarier than Levi. He was definitely a first class manipulator. I was still wondering how the hell he knew all these things about me?

"That bastard pretended to be me, didn't he? What did he ask you?"

I thought about Lucifer's words again. _"I know all there is to know about you. So I don't have anything to ask you."_

"Nothing."

"Are you sure?"

"He said he knew all there was to know about the Scouts. He was more interested in me, but he said he wasn't sure why himself. He seemed happy to see me again."

"You've met him before?"

"Two years ago." I told him how I'd run into him back then and how short and weird our encounter had been. And also about all these things he knew about me. Like my parent's picture under my pillow. As if he'd been keeping constant watch on me all this time.

Without realizing, I'd started roughly scratching the bite mark on the back of my left hand. Levi grabbed my wrist and sat back down. He pulled my hand closer to his face, opened his mouth and pressed it on my skin over the bite mark. I flinched at the ... _intimate_ contact. I looked away trying not to think about it but that was impossible. All my muscles were tensed and I'm pretty sure my face was crimson. I was biting my lower lips so hard I was afraid it was gonna start bleeding. I was torn between the relief sensation I got from the scratching going away and the embarrassment. Thank god his eyes were closed. An eternity seemed to have gone by when he finally pulled away.

"Better?"

"Hum, yeah...Thanks?"

He didn't let go of my hand though, which didn't help me relax. He moved my fingers out of the way to observe my stitched up palm.

"Did he do that to you too?"

"No, I did it to myself when I escaped the first time. I cut it with my knife. By the way, where are we? And who's the one that stitched me up?"

The door behind the counter was suddenly kicked open and I nearly jumped out of my skin. A short woman with red hair in her late twenties suddenly walked into the room.

"GOOOOOOD MORNING LEVI! Or afternoon, it's almost 1:00pm." She froze when she saw me. "Oh you're awake! Oh wait... did I interrupt something?"

My face turned red again and Levi let go off my hand that I quickly took back. "No." He said.

"Oh my goodness, finally!" She quickly came to sit next to me on the bench. "I've been waiting forever for you to wake up! What's your name? How long have you known Levi? I know you can't tell me anything about work but just on a personal level, how close are you two?"

"W-wait , what?" I asked confused.

"Oh right sorry! My name is Isabelle Church. I'm the wife of the owner of the place. Well one of the owners. And a really good friend of Levi's. I've been waiting forever for him to bring a girl here!"

"Isabelle!" Snapped Levi. "Quit talking for five seconds, the kid is gonna think this is a psychiatric institute."

"Geez, you're so mean."

"The girl needs to get dressed. Then we'll leave."

"No way! Not until she get's a proper breakfast and get's a chance to see Farlan. I'm not letting you get away that easily."

The angel sighed loudly and said. "Fine. Make it quick."

"Yes! You, come with me. You're other clothes were all torn so I'll let you borrow some of mine." She turned around and shouted in direction of the door. "FARLAN! MAKE PANCAKES FOR US DARLING! THANK YOU!" She turned back to me. "Follow me."

She started skipping towards the door that led to the bedroom I was in before. I was about to follow when Levi grabbed my hand and brought me closer to him. "Not a word about the Scouts."

I nodded before following Isabelle. She led me through a hallway and to another bedroom with a kingsized bed. She opened a drawer and searched through it. "Let's see... here! Dark blue jeans, socks... long sleeves shirt... grey should be fine. It's freezing outside, so here take this scarf with it and for shoes. Here I'll give you my sneakers. Levi told me you and I are the same shoe size so, lucky us!"

'How does he even know that?' I thought. She gave me a dark blue coat with a hoodie as well as a pair of gloves. I quickly got dressed. Everything was a little tight, but nothing that could restrain my movements too much. Then she handed me something else. A pocket knife.

"I know working with Levi means you're not entirely safe. It was the same for us back then. So take care of yourself okay?" She said before I could even ask.

I thanked her and put the knife in my jacket. She must know him really well to give me something like that. We went back downstairs. A man in his early thirties was talking with Levi. He smiled at me when we approached. Isabelle ran to his side and planted a kiss on his cheek.

"Thanks for the pancakes honey. This is Petra, Levi's lady friend. Petra, this is Farlan Church my Husband and also a good friend of Levi's."

"Please to meet you."

"Yeah, you too."

"Hurry up and eat before it get's cold. I could hear your stomach growling the whole time you were changing."

We sat with them and ate. They asked a lot of questions about me and seemed delighted that I was here. I just told them my normal life, leaving out everything Angel related. Levi was looking annoyed by the interrogation, telling them to lay off from time to time. Just like real friends. I would have never imagined Levi having friends. Especially people as nice as this couples. Truthfully, I was dying to ask about Levi in the past, but I felt like he would end me on the spot if I did. But something was still bugging me. So much that I couldn't really focus on their questions. It was Levi's last question. 'Did I tell him anything? Well no, he didn't ask for anything. But I did talk to him. Think Petra, think.' I replayed what I remembered of our conversation in my mind.

" _Trust me when I say they'd have no chance against the Titans. They're only brats and Titans are real monsters. Oh well, being this close to their HQ and keeping constant watch always gives us the advantage."_

" _This close? We're in Sina?"_

" _That's right. And a lot closer to them than what you might think."_

" _You're also in the Red zone?"_

I dropped my glass of orange juice and it crashed on the ground. "Oh my god." I whispered. I couldn't have. That bastard had tricked me!

"What's wrong kid?" Asked Levi.

I answered with a panicked voice. "I told him where the HQ was!"

* * *

 **MERRY CHRISTMAS GUYS! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING ALL THE WAY UP TILL NOW! AND PLEASE REVIEW!**


	18. Chapter 18

**HEY GUY! I'm so sorry for the extreme tardiness! I went through a sickness called lack of inspiration. It was** **awful! This chapter is short compared to the others (I know, baby steps to full recovery). But I'm back and ready to rock! Hope you're not too mad! I promise I'll make it up to you with a thrilling plot and awesome fights!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **External POV**

"Well..." Said the pseudo detective genius staring at the house of his best friend. "You guys ready?"

"I guess." Said Jean. "Not like we have a choice anyways."

"I swear, if this goes wrong, I am going to murder the Commander." Growls Ymir. This is ridiculous, we should be looking for Petra!"

"Come on you guys. If he is involved we are going to help him this way. Krista is working hard as well, so stop complaining and let's get to work."

The dog trainer and the ex-thug sighed before nodding. "Let's get this over with."

"Remember the plan. It's possible that Tim's office and maybe the entire house is under surveillance. Don't let anything slip."

The three teenagers walked over to the front door and Marco knocked. A few seconds later Amanda came and opened the door. She smiled at them. "Oh hello you three. This is a surprise. I didn't think you'd come here when Petra isn't. Can I help you?"

"Hello Amanda." Replied the cheerful freckled boy. "Petra's not here?"

"Didn't she tell you?" Replied the surprised woman. "She had to go back to Sina University urgently. She didn't even have time to tell me. Tim is the one who told me about it and then she sent me an email to explain it. She doesn't know how long she's going to have to stay there. Are you guys still mad at each other? It's been a while..."

"Yeah, I guess she's still mad if she won't even tell us that." Said Marco. 'So it's Timothy who mad up the excuse. We can't deny that he's involved any longer.' Thought the pseudo detective.

The woman smiled at them before saying. "I'm sorry you guys came here for nothing. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Actually we wanted to ask Petra if we could talk with your husband. It's about a school presentation and since he works for the city's security, we were hoping we could get an interview!"

'Damn this guy knows how to lie.' Thought Jean looking at his best friend.

"I'm sorry you guys, but Timothy won't be home until noon. But if you're willing to wait for him, you can go in his office. Rules are the same as ever though. Just don't touch anything."

"Thank you!"

The three teenagers walked through the house until they got to Timothy's office and sat down in the couch. Marco opened his computers and surfed on the internet a little. Ymir and Jean started a conversation about his training. Following Marco's plan, in case they were being watched they needed to act like the real point of there visit was for that school assignment. After fifteen minutes of banal teenage talk, Marco clicked his tongue. "Oh man this is long."

Ymir stood up and stretched. "How long do we have to wait? I'm so bored." She said.

"Stop complaining, we have to be here until Tim comes back, we'll never get another chance." Said Jean. "Hey, you guys still think Petra's mad at us?"

"Well, duh." Replies the tanned girl. "She took off without telling any of us. She must be seriously pissed. Hey, hold up you guys. We're in the office of a man who doesn't say anything about his job... Lucky us. What do you say we take a look around?"

"Are you crazy?" Shouts Jean playing along. "If we get get caught we're gonna be in big trouble."

"It might be cool to check it out. I mean this is a golden opportunity." Says Marco pretending to think.

"Not you too!"

"Come on, don't be a wuss. I'm sure there's plenty to look around for." Continues the freckled girl before turning around and starting to look around the desk.

Marco stood up and started looking through the shelves. "Wow, he's got some pretty cool books."

"Seriously you guys!"

The ex-thug and the new Sherlock Holmes pretend to ignore their friends and keep looking everywhere. Ymir looked through the desk and Marco stepped on a chair to look on top of the shelves.

"Wouldn't it be awesome if Tim was some kind of spy or something!"

"Tch. Yeah right? Did you ever see the guy? You really think a spy would look like that?"

"That may be his greatest trick yet."

"Stop talking like an old man, dude. You're creeping me out." Said the dog trainer.

"That'd be pretty sick!" Said Ymir, picking up the accessories in the drawer and looking at them. "And this USB key is probably a laser or a camouflaged camera. And the lamp probably has a gun hidden inside."

"Are you sure you're both over eighteen?" Says Jean, face-palming. "You're acting like twelve year-olds."

"And you're a killjoy, Kirstein. Loosen up, dog trainer."

"Shut up!"

The two freckled teenagers keep looking around for a good half an hour before. Then footsteps are heard in the hallway and they quickly put everything back and sat back in the couch, pretending to look at Marco's computer. Timothy Kiler opened the door and found the three teenagers. The paleness on his face was nothing short of scary. The bags under his eyes were betraying the exhaustion he felt. It was clear that he wasn't in his right state, a six year-old could have told. Worry and anxiousness were present in his eyes. Still, he managed to smile when he saw his daughter's friends.

"Hello you guys. It's nice to see you. Amanda told me that you wanted to ask me questions but unfortunately, I'm extremely busy. I'm sorry you wasted your time waiting for me." He said.

"Well, dang it." Growled Jean.

Marco stood up. "Are you alright Timothy? You look... well really pale. Is everything alright?"

"No need to worry Marco, I just have a lot of work recently that's all."

"Are you sure nothing else is going on? You look really stressed, I really think you should lie down or something."

"I'm really alright Marco." Replied the man. He also stopped smile.

"It looks more than work stress to me. Does this have to do with Petra leaving so suddenly?"

"No!" Suddenly shouted the older man, making his answer unconvincing and sloppy."Look! I really am busy and I need to work! Now will you kids please leave?"

"All right. Sorry Mr Kiler!"

The three teenagers quickly exited the room and Timothy violently shut the door close. They looked at each other and started heading towards the entrance. Then Marco suddenly stopped and took his phone out of his pocket. He opened his text app.

"Oh? Looks like Petra isn't so mad at us after all."

Jean and Ymir look at the phone as Marco typed.

 _ **Play along. I want to check her computer.**_

"Honestly what an airhead! Taking off to college and leaving her computer? Smart move there, ginger." Said Jean, shrugging.

"That is pretty stupid. And now we have to bring it to her?" Said Ymir, sighing. "Geez!"

After telling Amanda their pretext for going upstairs, the three teens entered their friend's room and directly went for her desk to find her computer. Once found, they quickly left after thanking the woman of the house for her hospitality. As they were heading towards the metro station, the companions started talking about their discoveries.

"Found anything, Ymir?" Asked Marco.

"There was some sort of tiny microphone stuck to the lamp. All the drawers of his desk were locked though and it's not like I had the time to pick them."

"The thing you found was probably a listening device... I spotted a camera in the vent. But the acting was great you guys. Good job."

Jean continued. "Tim's face confirms it all. He really is in all this mess. We have to tell the Commander and put Amanda, Alec and Myra somewhere safe."

"I agree. But first I want to check something on this."

The pseudo detective sat on a bench and opened Petra's computer. Thank trust, they knew their friend's password. He opened her mailbox, not needing internet since he was checking old messages. The last message that had been sent was to Amanda and Tim's common address.

"That message was written over a little over a day ago." Said Jean looking at the date. "Petra's been missing for three days, she didn't send that. Tim probably did it to find a good excuse for Petra's absence."

"That means he knows that she's in their hands. Damn bastards!" Cursed the brunette. "What do we do with the computer now?"

Marco suddenly got his usual goofy smile back. "We take it with us, duh. Petra's gonna want it back."

Ymir looked at him surprised before grinning. "Yeah, she'll kill us if we don't." Her phone suddenly rang and she took it out of her pocket.

"Yeah, Krista? Hold up, I'm putting you on speakers."

" _Did you guys find anything?"_

"We know for sure Tim is involved. How about you? Anything interesting?"

" _Loads. It took me forever to get something out of the minister of foreign affairs. I had to get Freida's help. Don't ask me how I manage to keep everything a secret, I don't know. But I got something interesting on our last suspect. Henry Aust came to the city about two year ago. And according to what Hanji told me, that's when some Strays started attacking the Scouts that were hunting for them."_

"Those were probably the ones from the new project." Said Marco. "But wait, didn't you say Aust was a young businessman?"

" _I didn't mean young in that way. I meant new to the business. Come on, did you see his face on the footage? The guy is at least fifty."_

"So there's a very good chance this guy is one of our three wanted men. We should return to HQ and tell everything to the Scouts. The next step is going to be about spying on Aust, I bet. See you soon Kris."

" _Yeah, later."_

The short blond girl ended the call and put her cellphone back in her pocket. She placed her book bag on her back, and stepped out of her room. She had to sneak out of the castle once more. But it was not difficult for her. No one ever paid attention to her when she was in the castle except Freida, and her elder half-sister was working. Krista took the usual passages to get out of the castle and started heading towards the red zone. Wanting to get there fast and share all the information she had, the shorty took shortcuts through pretty empty alleyways. But then, she thought she heard footsteps in her back. She turned around... only to find nothing. She started walking again and a threatening presence in her back manifested itself again. Again she stopped and looked. But nothing was there. She started walking casually again but walking a bit faster this time. Her heart was speeding up. Someone or something was definitely following her. It couldn't be her bodyguard since no one knew that she snuck out. Krista took a deep breath to calm down before dashing towards the next street and taking random trail. She could hear the running footsteps behind her.

'It can't be an angel. They're never out during daylight.'

She was the King's daughter. It wasn't the first time a kidnapping was attempted. But since then, she'd learn to defend herself properly. But there was something odd about her pursuer. He never came in sight even though she could clearly hear them. What were they doing? The shorty understood that when she came to an abrupt stop. A bunch of men dressed in military clothes were blocking her way. And a few seconds later the ones behind them appeared, cutting off her escape route.

'So that's it. They were cornering me.'

One of them took a step forward. "Give me your bag, princesse." He orders with a deep voice.

She raised an eyebrow. "Why would you want the bag of a high schooler. Are you out of makeup or something?"

'These guys definitely know that I have Aust's files. They don't have black nails, they're not angels. What is going on here?'

* * *

" _Farlan, sorry to ask you for anymore but could you watch her for me a bit longer? I'll be back soon."_

" _Oh, hell no! I'm going with you."_

" _Don't be an idiot Petra. Erwin's not answering his phone and that's not normal. Four-eyes isn't answering either. Something's up."_

" _I know. And it's probably my fault, so I'm going. Levi, I don't have anywhere else to go. Tim thinks I'm still in custody, Amanda probably thinks I'm off to college or whatever lie he told her and no one in the Scouts is answering. If something happens to you to, what am I going to do?"_

" _..."_

" _Please don't leave me alone."_

" _If I tell you to run and leave me behind, you have to do it. Got it."_

" _Deal."_

Levi and I were now in the sewer, heading for the Red Zone and the undergrounds. Both of us were quiet. I was still shocked of my discovery. How could I have been so stupid? Lucifer had manipulated me like a genius but still, I should've seen that coming. If anything really happened to the Scouts then it was my fault. I looked at Levi. The scout's captain had that ever serious face on, but I could guess how worried he was on the inside. I was extremely worried about what we were going to find. When we finished crossing the underground passages, we reached the gate that led to the core. The angel took out his gun and told me to stay back. Levi approached the gate and took a stone out of the wall next to it. In the hole was some sort of keyboard he pressed a couple buttons and we heard something unlock inside the gate. He opened it and entered. He disappeared inside for a few seconds (which felt like hours to me). And then called me in. Inside, the whole room was upside down. All the computers and desks were in pieces even the lamps were on the floor. And there was blood everywhere... I stared at the messed up room with wide eyes as my mouth hung open in shock. There was so much blood. On the floor even on the walls. So me stains had the shape of human hands. On the floor, were also bodies drowning in pools of their own blood. I was paralyzed but Levi's expression didn't even change. He approached the bodies and examined them.

They weren't Scouts. I could tell because they weren't wearing the uniforms. The angel opened the mouth of one of the corpses.

"They're angels alright. Or... titans. Shit."

How could this have happened? In only a couple hours? Why didn't I remember sooner? I could have been avoided... if only I'd remembered sooner! I didn't have to be angel to smell the blood. There was so much you could practically taste it in the air. The iron smell was making it hard for me to breath. Levi warned me to stick close to him as he walked towards the door that lead to the hallway. He made sure no one was around before heading towards where Hanji's lab and Erwin's office were. It was dark in the hallway. Nearly all the lights had been destroyed. But the smell of blood was persistent and in the light of the few bulbs left, I could catch large dark stains on the walls and floor. As well as shapes of bodies. We found more bodies. But this time, I spotted a familiar silhouette. I could see better because it was standing near a source of light. A tall man'a well built body, military haircut, dark skin...

"Franz..." I muttered with a strangled voice.

I stopped to look at the body and tell myself that I was dreaming, but Levi grabbed my wrist and pulled on it.

"I said stick close to me. That means keep your eyes on me as well."

We arrived at Hanji's lab. The door was a heavy metallic one compare to the others. Levi tried to open it but nothing he did worked.

"Good. At least four-eyes still manage to follow procedure."

He moved on to Erwin's office. This time, the door had been busted and the entire room was upside down. Levi quickly checked the contents of the drawers and then we moved on to his own office a few rooms further. Same as Erwin's, upside down and bloody. Again he looked through the drawers. Then he started walking again, in direction of the training room. I tried my best not to look at the bodies on our way there. But just knowing that I knew some of them made me sick. They were dead. And it was all my fault. My heart was racing like hell.

My heart was racing like hell. Sweat drops had formed on my forehead and were dripping on my face. I had trouble breathing too.

"Don't look kid." Said Levi. "Close your eyes if you have to. I'll guide you."

I didn't answer. I could barely hear him but I felt him take my hand once more and dragging me behind him. My senses were dull. I couldn't even feel him touch me. I'll I could think of was Franz's lifeless body. What had I done? Levi pushed the door of the gym and we entered. Again, blood everywhere. The angel looked around before heading towards the armory. I just stayed there staring. This room's light were fine, so I could clearly see. Most of them were unknown, but I spotted a familiar black-haired girl.

"Mina..."

I knew there were more. But I didn't want to know. I quickly ran away from the scene and entered the armory. The room was huge and dark.

"Levi?" I called out.

No one answered me. I was about to start making my way inside, when I heard something move behind me quickly, and before I even get the chance to turn around I felt a bunch of sharp object pierce my skin, digging in my clavicle, shoulders and nape. I screamed in pain and a voice yells behind me.

"YOU'RE GONNA PAY, YOU MURDERERS! YOU'RE GONNA PAY!"

'I know that voice.' "Na...na..." I tried to say but I the pain was so intense I couldn't articulate a word. She was digging in my flesh and at the same time, I felt like she was gonna crush my collarbone. It hurt so much, tears escaped my eyes. Then I heard footsteps running towards us and Levi appeared in my line of sight. He raised his gun and pointed it towards me. But quickly his eyes widened and he lowered his weapon and shouted.

"NANABA!"

I felt the grip loosen slightly. "Captain is that you?"

"Let her go."

"Huh?" She gasped and instantly pulls her claws out of my flesh. "Petra? Are you alright? I'm so sorry! I thought you were one of the monsters."

I fell to my knees and started coughing loudly and brought my hand to my neck. Blood was leaking onto the floor. Nanaba took some kind of tissue out of her uniform and pressed it against the wounds she had just inflicted to me. Levi approached.

"Are you alright kid?"

I nodded, still catching my breath. Why hadn't she seen me? Angels are suppose to be able to see I the dark... And she should have a good sense of smell. Rage might have blinded her. Levi seemed to be wondering the same thing.

"How come you didn't see her?" He asked to the younger angel.

"I can't see. Well, it's not entirely true. My eyes have been extremely blurry since they attacked."

"You've been hiding in here the whole time?"

"Yes. I past out from an explosion when they blasted through the wall. When I regained consciousness, everyone was gone. I can barely smell a thing with all the blood. And I trouble walking on my left leg. My knee is killing me."

"Why didn't you call for help?"

"My radio got crushed. So I just hid in here, hoping someone was coming back. When I heard you, I thought it was the guys from before... I'm so sorry Petra." She smiled. With her face covered with bruises and practically blind eyes, she smiled. "I'm glad you're safe. I knew we could find you."

I couldn't reply. Why was she smiling at me? I was responsible for all of this... Why was she so happy? Levi continued.

"So the others escaped. They're probably in the sanctuary by now. Nanaba, can you find a uniform for Petra?"

"Yes sir!" Immediately said the young woman pushing herself up to her leg. "Come on Petra."

I followed her without a word to a section of the armory that had the uniforms. Just by touching them, she found pants, a shirt, a jacket and shoes my size. As I changed she kept asking if I was alright and if they'd done anything to me. I had trouble answering and she wrote it off as the effects of the shock and apologized, saying she wouldn't ask anymore. Once back in my gothic black uniform, we walked back towards where Levi was. He was looking through the wooden boxes containing the guns and ammo. He had a small gun in a holster in one hand and turned to Nanaba.

"Get us good knifes. I had to get rid of mine. We're gonna need ropes too."

"Right, away." Replied the wounded angel before limping towards the knife area.

Levi approached me and snapped his fingers in front of my face to get my attention. I raised my head and looked at him. He offered me the gun in it's holster.

"Take it. I don't want you weaponless."

I looked at the weapon and raised a hand to grab it but then quickly took my hand back. "I can't... I can't hold a weapon right now... I'm ...I'm not... good enough to use one."

I was expecting him to order me to take it, but he just took a step closer to me and knelt down. Without a word, he placed the holster on the side of my thigh. He circled my leg with the two buckles and attached the weapon on me. I flinched when he touched my leg, confused by a ambiguous feelings. First, I was terrified to have this weapon on me and second, him touching me like that was... weird. It was gentle but firm. I suddenly felt a wave of feelings rising from my chest. A mixture of sadness, stress and guilt. I was this close to letting tears out. I needed to get this pain off my chest

"Levi, I... I'm the one who..."

He firmly tightened the lower buckle as to make me shut up. He then stood back up again. Grabbing the back of my head he brought his head so close to me that our foreheads touched. His piercing glare that I knew so well was staring at me dead in the eye. It froze every thought in my mind, making me entirely focus on him.

"Listen up, Petra. I need you to stay focused for one more hour. Then I'll listen. But for now, we need to move and join up with the others. One hour. I promise, that's all. Can you do that?"

Even if it was a question, those words didn't leave me a choice. I couldn't let it out now. I took a series of very deep breath to push back the wave of emotion back inside the deepest part of my soul. It took me a good minute. And then, I nodded.

He nodded back. "Good. Thanks for enduring kid."

"Captain! I got what we need."

Levi stepped away from me. "Then let's go. Nanaba, can you walk?"

"I'll be slow, but it'll be fine."

"Petra. Can you help her?"

"Yeah."

Levi took the bag Nanaba was holding and I placed one of her arms around my neck and held her by her side with the other. She smiled at me and I couldn't help but look away. 'Will I really be able to hold everything in for an hour Levi? Because I can feel the guilt eating at my insides...' I tried to force myself to focus on following Levi. Wherever that sanctuary was, I hoped everyone was alright. Or at least... most of them.

* * *

 **Oh oh! Looks like Krista's in trouble! And what happened to the rest of the Scouts? Hihi! PLEASE REVIEW!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Hello guys! Again let me apologize for the delay. (Again). I'm still recovering from my writer's block. (** **Baby steps!) Still I hope you'll like this chapter!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"Are you sure you're okay Nanaba? I can carry you, if you want." I offered after forty long minutes of silence and following Levi around in dark and narrow paths.

"No way." Replied the blonde with an almost cheery voice. "Being a burden like this is enough. Besides, I'm not that badly hurt."

She was saying that, but I could hear her grunt from time to time, whenever she put too much pressure on her leg. How was she so cheery after what had just happened? My feet were hurting. I'd scratched myself more times than I can count against the walls. Nanaba was holding a flashlight for me to see but even so the light was pretty much useless. I was tripping every two seconds but somehow manage never to fall down. I was hungry and thirsty. And at the same time I wanted to puke just thinking about the carnage in the HQ. I felt like my head was killing me. I was still shaking like a newborn lamb. But I couldn't complain. One reason was because I was responsible for what happened in there. The second was because I needed all my strength not to pass out. Levi hadn't turned around since we entered these passages. The angel captain was as silent as a tombstone, but walking slowly so that we could keep up. We were always going downhill, and even if I couldn't see very well, I was pretty sure we were inside a giant maze with very narrow paths. I was trying to focus on Levi's back and ignore my annoying and scary thoughts. Even if I hadn't eaten anything for the past 3 hours (at least), something was turning in my stomach, making it very hard for me to focus. The past forty-five minutes had been hell. Wanting to scream but not being able to. My body aching all over, tortured by thirst and exhaustion. And my uneasiness being this close to the people who's friends I was practically responsible for killing. I wanted to dig a hole and disappear underground. Actually, I was. I had no idea where we were going but we hadn't stopped going down. The path was uncomfortably going downhill.

"Are you taking us to hell?" I muttered.

"Not quite. Just the level above." Replied the captain without turning around. "The sanctuary is the lowest part of the 15th century underground slave town."

"Are you sure it's safe?"

"We made our own arrangements down there." Completed Nanaba. "You'll see when we get there."

Levi suddenly stopped. Nanaba raised the torchlight for me. It was a dead end. "Are we lost?"

"No." Replied the leader. "We're going down."

Even with the dim lighting, I could discern him taking the rope off his shoulder and tying it around a stone. And I also noticed the thin hole on the ground. Levi told Nanaba to hang on to him and went down the small hole. I was left alone with my flashlight for about five minutes, which is a lot in a place like that. Then Levi came back up for me. He asked if I could hold on on my own. I nodded and he took me down the pit. When we reached the bottom, Levi took a lighter out of his wonder-jacket, and set the rope on fire. 'Point of no return' I thought. But when I turned around I could see some dim light emerging from the end of the cavern. It wasn't a natural light. It couldn't be, this deep down in the earth. I helped Nanaba up again and we walked towards that light. As we got closer, I discerned the windows and doors that had been carved in the stone to make the slave houses of ancient times. Thinking of people living in here with barely any sunlight ever made me sick. Levi was about to take the first step, when a gun shot was fired and landed right next to his foot. He pushed us back and both of us fell on our butts. He took out his own gun before shouting.

"ERWIN! HANJI! STOP FIRING, DAMN IT! IT'S ME! I'VE GOT PETRA AND NANABA WITH ME! THEY'RE WOUNDED!"

"PROVE IT!" Replied the Commander's voice. "TELL ME WHO THE PERSON FIRING AT YOU IS!"

What? How could he possibly know? I know Erwin was on guard because Levi told him about Lucifer but how could Levi just know who was shooting? There was more than a few excellent snipers in the Scouts. The best one was still Nanaba though. If she hadn't been with us, she would have been my first guess. I tried to remember who were the best ones at using firearms but my head was already so full, I couldn't even think straight.

"ARMIN!" Yelled the Captain without any hesitation. "I only know one person with such a shitty aim."

"That was shitty aim?" I muttered to myself. "The bullet landed right next to your feet. Wasn't it a warning shot?"

I stood up again and helped Nanaba. We came out of the cavern, crossing the rocky space between it and the carved houses. Erwin and a couple more Scouts came out of them and walked towards us. Thomas, Sasha and Connie came running at me and Nanaba.

"Petra! You're alright!" Shouted the brunette, throwing her arms around me. "Your face is so white! What happened?"

Connie chopped her with his hand behind the head. "She was kidnapped you idiot! That's what happened."

"You didn't have to hit me." She mumbled, rubbing the back of her head.

Thomas took Nanaba off me. "We thought you were a goner too. Are you alright?" He asked the injured angel.

"I can't see clearly and my knee hurts, but I don't think it's broken." She explained.

"I'll take you to Rico." Said the blond teen taking her towards one of the carved houses.

Hanji was the head of science and medical department for the Scouts, but she had taught part of the Scouts to be medics, probably in case something happened to her. Rico was in charge of the medical stuff when Hanji wasn't available. Was Hanji gone too? Did those monsters get her like Franz and Mina? My head started spinning again and I brought my hand to my forehead, as if to stabilize it. The Commander had a cover over his shoulders and his shirt looked torn. He seemed as calm as ever but relief was visible on his face.

"Glad to have you three back in one piece." Said the military man.

"What happened?" Immediately asked Levi.

"They attacked right after you called me. A bomb blasted through the wall of the hallway. There were at least a hundred of them. They weren't angels, just monsters. Communicating with them was impossible. Did you see if they took anything?"

"You're office and mine were upside down, but it was searched thoroughly. That means someone who could actually think straight was there. Probably came after the monsters. The lab was locked though and nothing got through."

"I see. That's good. We'll have to sent a group to retrieve everything. But not until they've rested."

"Agreed." The angel captain looked around. "Where's four-eyes?"

* * *

 **Random alleys close to the castle**

The petite blondie threw another high-kick in one of her attackers chin. Then a left hook in another's jaw, and one more received a kick in the solar plexus, knocking him to the ground. Krista didn't waste time, and turned to face her already attacking adversaries. She'd gotten over her height complex when she realized how useful it was in fighting. And once more she was thankful for it. She sent another man flying over her shoulder.

'I can dodge them all day but there's too many of them. If this keeps up, I'm gonna be too exhausted to do anything.'

But then one of them, who seemed to be the guy in charge pulled out a gun. She froze. "Okay, enough screwing around, Princess. Give us your bag and come with us quietly."

"Do you have any idea how much of a riot it would cause if anyone learned that a King's daughter was shot? A thorough investigation would be held, and I'm guessing you would like to avoid that. You're not wearing a uniform, but that gun is part of the equipment of the military. They'll easily know where the bullet came from and who the gun belongs to."

'Thanks Jean for spreading your knowledge on guns.' Krista could easily see that the man was disturbed. He clenched his teeth at her comment and she got back on guard. 'He's uneasy. At least I know this guy really is part of the military. But who's he working for here? He wants the information I have on Aust...'

She didn't have time to meditate on that, one of them threw himself on her, hoping to catch her off guard. That was underestimating the black belt way too much. He received an elbow in the stomach, and a pock in the throat that cut off his breath.'These guys are well trained even though they're not used to fighting someone like me. They're definitely soldiers. I'm not gonna be able to dodge them forever. I'm starting to get tired.'

"KRISTA! CLOSE YOUR EYES AND HOLD YOUR BREATH!" Shouted a familiar voice that the petite blondie recognized right away.

Something was tossed on the ground and exploded, filling the place with red smoke. The king's daughter quickly understood why she had to close her eyes. They started stinging awfully and the place stank of pimento. But then something grabbed her by her jacket from behind and pulled her out of the cloud of powder. She breathed in the fresh air, before rubbing her eyes to try and see clearly.

"Hanji?" Coughed Krista. "Is that you?"

"Yeah, quickly follow me."

She felt the angel grab her hand and let her lead her away from the scene, while she tried to get her eyes to see better. When Hanji finally stopped, she asked. "Did we loose them?"

"Loose them? They're probably still trying to get the pimento out of their eyes. I knew these bombs were a good idea. Hold on a sec."

Krista felt the angel press a wet cloth on her eyes. "Use this." The blondie thanked her for it and got the pimento out of her eyes. When she could finally see the head of the science and medical department, she frowned.

"Hold on, what are you doing out here in the middle of the day? Aren't you suppose to be sleeping?"

Hanji gave her a serious face. "The HQ was attaked."

The King's daughter's eyes widened. "Attacked? By who?"

"Angels."

"Strays?"

"No. I think they were the result of the new project. They couldn't talk or even listen. Just kill. It was like they were animals. Pure monsters."

"Is everyone safe?"

"We took refuge in our sanctuary. That's where I'm going to take you. After we were attacked, Erwin said there was a possibility that you and the others were going to be attacked too. Guess he was right. How they knew where we were is a total mystery. Mike went to get Marco, Jean and Ymir. I hope he made it in time. I'll explain everything when we get there."

The angel offered a hand and helped her up. As she started walking, Krista felt her heart accelerate a little and gulped. The face Hanji was making told her that not everyone made it. Hanji then suddenly smiled again. "But I have some good news for you, too!"

* * *

 **Random streets near Petra's house**

The three companions walked through the empty streets, along with the two dogs happily walking next to them. The three of them were silent for the most part. They couldn't find anything casual to talk about. Talking more about Scout's business was useless until they shared the information with them. And they didn't feel like just goofing around. They were all worried about Petra. Suddenly, Ymir straightened up but without stopping. Marco didn't miss it.

"What's wrong?" Asked the pseudo sherlock, quietly.

"Someone's following us. Probably more than one actually."

"Strays you think?"

"No." Replied Jean instead. "The dogs would have smelled them by now. They aren't suspicious of humans."

"Any ideas?" Asked Ymir.

"What do you say we ambush them?"

"I like that plan."

They turned into the narrow and less frequented alleys and started running to put some distance between them and their stalkers. Unfortunately, they found themselves in front of a dead end. And as they turned around to chance routes, the entrance was blocked by four man wearing black and sun glasses.

"Alright we're in a pinch." Stated Marco.

"You know what?" Growled Ymir. "Screw this."

She started walking towards them, and one came closer as well. A few meters away from him, she started running and tackled the man twice her size on the ground. With catlike agility, the girl found herself kneeling behind him and her arm around his neck almost strong enough to strangle him. With her free hand, she pressed the blade of her pocket knife next to his jugular.

"Don't move!" She warned his companions. "Who are you and why are you following us?"

"N-nothing special." Said one of them, clearly uneasy. All of them had reflexively reached for their belts, even though no guns holsters were there. Marco didn't miss that. These men weren't used to not having weapons. Meaning they weren't suppose to kill them. Interesting. On top of that, their lying needed working. "W-we just wanted the computer."

"And on top of that, you think I'm an idiot." She said frowning even more.

"Bullshit!" Shouted Jean. "Your boots are military gear."

"Who would send the army after three kids I wonder..." Said Marco. "You might want to answer before my very angry friend's hand slips."

"Sorry kid." Said another one, that looked very calm this time. "That answer isn't worth a death and I think you know that very well. She doesn't have the guts to do it. I'm calling off this bluff."

He started walking towards the boys, walking passed Ymir and the man on the ground. She clenched her teeth. Of course it was a bluff. She might have been a junkie at some point, but she wasn't a murderer. Jean brought his fingers to his mouth and wolf whistled. At the command, Orion and Eska (the brown german shepherd), threw themselves on the man. The one of the remaining men came running towards him to assist his companion, but Jean blocked his way, grabbing him around the waist. The last one headed for Ymir since he was now convinced that she wouldn't use her knife. He was wrong. The girl let go of the first one and sliced her knife in the air. The blade left a mark on the man's palm. Ymir wouldn't kill. But she'd been in fights against dangerous people before. She was too familiar with the notion of survival of the fittest. Inflicting wounds to those who were harming her friends, now that she could. She didn't wait for the man to recover from the shock and sent her foot flying in his face. He fell back with a broken and bloody nose. But the other one was already on his feet and charged. As for Marco, all he could do was watch. Getting in the fight would help no one. All he got was the basic self-defense moves the Scouts had taught to him. While these men were truly in the military, he'd be no match for them. Even Jean and Ymir had to give everything they had to keep standing. And his best friend was clearly having trouble. But if there was one thing he could do, it was observing. That's how he saw the man fighting Jean, take something out of his sleeve and immediately knew what it was.

"Jean, look out! Taser!"

But it was too late. The boy tried to avoid it, but the man still managed to touch his arm and electrify him. The dog trainer fell on the ground grunting. Ymir got distracted one second to take a look at her friend, which costed her her knife. The man kicked it out of her hands and threw himself on her... only to suddenly fall unconscious on the ground. The man who was fighting Jean, froze in surprise when he saw a shadow run full speed towards him. The thing grabbed him around the neck and forcefully hit the back of his head against the wall. The man collapsed at Mike's feet. He held a hand out to Jean.

"Are you alright?" Asked the normally quiet man.

"Yeah." Grunted Jean, as the angel pulled him to his feet. "The voltage was pretty low, but it still hurts like hell."

The dog trainer picked up the taser from the ground and walked towards the man being held down on the floor by the two canines, their powerful jaws refusing to let go. Jean whistled and Orion and Eska got off the man, he approached the man and knelt down next to him.

"How about telling us what that was all about?" He said.

The man looked like he was in his forties. Compare to the others, he looked older. He didn't seem affected by his weakened state.

"Do whatever you want kid. A mission's a mission. I'm not telling you anything."

Jean frowned before sighing. He was too used to this kind of behavior from his dad. "You're lucky you remind me of my old man." He stated before turning on the max voltage on taser and touched the soldier on the chest. This time, the man fainted from the high electric shock without letting out a scream.

"Why are soldiers implicated in this mess?" Wondered Marco.

"Not to ruin your train of thought, Sherlock, but it's really not the place to discuss that." Said Ymir, picking up her knife and putting it back in her pocket. "So, why are you here?" She asked the angel.

"Something happened, didn't it?" Said Marco.

The tall angel just nodded. The three teens looked at each other with worried glares but then they heard grunting. The man Ymir had kicked in the face was starting to regain consciousness. Before he could even think of running away, he found himself grabbed by the neck and pressed against the wall by the angel.

"So." Said Marco approaching. "Are you going to answer my question?"

"You can go to hell." He replied.

The teen pretended to think for a while before getting closer to Mike and whispering something in his ear. The man's eyes widened a little but he didn't say anything. He then simply nodded. Marco smiled and turned to the soldier again.

"I guess we don't need you either then. You can eat him."

The soldier looked confused when he saw Mike get closer and slowly opening his mouth. The man turned pale and started sweating when his fangs stretched out accompanied by the growl of a hungry beast. He now had the face of a man who knew he was going to be devoured.

* * *

 **Scouts sanctuary**

"Where's four-eyes?"

"Aww, are you worried about me shorty?" Shouted a familiar voice.

From further in the giant cavern, two people were getting closer. One was Hanji, with her usual goofy smile and the other short blondie, was one of my best friends. When she saw me, she quickly started running full speed towards me.

"Petra!"

She threw her arms around me and hugged me as hard as she could. "You're alright! Thank god!" She let go and grabbed my hands. "Are you okay? You look like a ghost! And what happened to your hand? You're shaking like a leaf in the wind!"

"Hey, maybe you should calm down, Krista." Said Connie, putting a hand on her shoulder. "She's been through a lot. Screaming in her ears is probably not doing any good."

"You're right. Sorry Petra. I'm so glad you're okay!" She smiled at me.

I couldn't even find it in me to smile. To tell the truth, I wasn't even listening to her. That incessant need to want to puke was still there and too many things were on my mind. Negative emotions were circulating at a sickening speed inside my mind. The only thing I could focus my attention on was the one thing I didn't want to hear. Levi and Erwin's conversation.

"How many wounded do we have?" Asked Levi to the Commander.

"Almost everyone. Twenty three incapable of working in total." Said Rico who had approached to take a look at Nanaba's eyes and knee. "Twenty four if Nanaba can't see or walk."

Levi frowned. "Did you count yourself in that number? You're not exactly in one piece."

The Commander grinned. "You didn't have to make it sarcastic. I'm fine. It won't stop me from working properly."

"Don't joke about this Erwin!" Snapped the angel. "A missing arm isn't a fucking joke."

My eyes widened and I looked at the Commander. Was that why he had a cover over his shoulders? Hoping Levi wouldn't notice a wound like that. I gulped in disgust. My head felt like it weighted a ton and my stomach, like the ocean in a the Commander looked at him seriously when he said. "I'm not joking Levi. I don't have time for resting. Especially after that happened. It's out of the question that I take a break now."

Hanji stepped closer to the two men. "I already stopped the bleeding and took all the major medical procedures already. So relax, Levi. He'll be fine."

"And you four-eyes?"

"Bitten by a positive, but since we're immune, it's no big deal. A few scratched here and there. But other than that, in one piece."

"How many casualties?" Asked the Captain.

I didn't want to hear that. But I didn't have the energy to get away. It was like my legs were stuck to the ground and if I made a single move, I'd fall. Like a card tower. Someone sneezing would probably enough to make me crumble. Hanji lowered her head.

"We've... lost quite a few..."

'Don't say it.' I internally begged. 'Don't say it!'

"How many?" Insisted Levi, with a tone that meant business.

'Please, don't say it!'

Erwin sighed before answering. "Nineteen."

I said a sneeze would have been enough to knock me down... this was like a hurricane. Half a second after hearing that, I fell on all four and gave back the pancakes I had this morning. All of them. I coughed loudly to try to kill the burn in my throat.

"PETRA!" Shouted Krista kneeling down next to me and grabbing my shoulders. "What's wrong?"

"Move!" Ordered Levi getting her back to her feet and pushing her away. He crouched down next to me, waiting for me to stop puking and coughing. Even when I did, I talked with a raspy voice and my throat was still burning. I was breathing heavily and when I inhaled, it was really noisy. "Petra. Look at me."

It took a few seconds for my eyes to find his. And when they did, I understood why I fell. His face was as neutral as ever, but his eyes expressed concern. "Sorry kid. I didn't realize an hour passed."

I felt my face heat up and clenched my teeth as hard as I could. I could feel the river of tears just waiting to burst out my eyes. I clenched my fists and rose them to hit the ground as hard as I could before letting out a long, intense scream of rage that resonated in the entire cavern. The dam crumbled and the tears fell down my face. Levi was just watching me with the same eyes, waiting. I looked up again, tears streaming endlessly down my face.

"I... killed nineteen people?"

"What?" Suddenly exclaimed Hanji.

"Levi, what's this all about?" Asked Erwin.

"Am I a murderer?" I started hyperventilating.

The angel captain's eyes softened. He ignored the questions of his superior, and wiped my eyes and then my mouth clean with his gloved hand. "Thanks for enduring." He said.

The next thing I knew, I received a powerful and lighting quick fist in the stomach and darkness took over my consciousness.

* * *

 **External POV**

The Commander and all the present Scouts watched, completely stunned at the angel Captain picking up the unconscious girl in his arms.

"Levi. What did she mean by that? Don't walk away without answering."

The Captain turned to him and gave him a death glare as he answered. "Remember our friend Lucifer? He was the one holding her hostage. The bastard made her believe he was me. She gave him the location of the HQ without even realizing it."

Levi turned to Hanji. "Four-eyes. She needs a dose."

"What? But ..."

"Do you really need a PhD in psychology to tell she was having a panic attack?"

Hanji frowned. "Slow down Levi. I know you're worried but I can't give her anything until I have a completed chart on her physical status."

"Then get moving." He snapped.

"Follow me. Rico, when you're done with Nanaba, join us." Ordered the Head of the Science and Medical branch.

An hour later, the Scout's hacker was laying on a bed with monitors around her, inside the carved house that served as Hanji's pseudo infirmary. Her breathing was normal but raspy. Her heart rate was stable. But her face was still as pale as a ghost. Her eyes were still red from the crying. She still had that pained expression. The angel captain sat on the edge of the bed and looked at the girl. He'd tossed away his glove since it was beyond disgusting, and brought his bare hand up to touch the girl's forehead. She had a fever and was sweating a little. The trauma she'd received from the 'revelation' had busted her immune defenses. He was amazed at how long she'd been able to hold everything in. The girl's guilt was something he'd have to deal with immediately. First because their mission required it. Second, because she had nothing to be guilty about. He wouldn't let her carry a burden that shouldn't exist. He remembered that sentence.

" _Are you... my Levi?"_

My Levi? As much as he hated to admit it, the girl was growing on him. She somehow managed to make a crack in his shield. All of the brats had, but none as deep as her. And it was different for them, since they had no choice but fight together. And he knew she'd gotten attached as well. Whenever she talked back to him, he saw her eyes screaming 'I'm going to destroy whatever chains you.' Why did she have to be so independent and unruly? Why didn't she follow the mission like she was suppose to three days ago? His hand traveled down to her cheek and then, to her ear, moving the hair out of the way. He found the piercing there. Levi wasn't one to share personal facts about himself, especially not to the brats. But he liked simple piercings like that. It was like having a small light, in a desert of darkness. Maybe that was exactly what she represented. The first 'normal' to have crossed the line, aside from Erwin. And now, a light that had been struck by another kind of darkness. But she was still here. She persisted. But this time she was going to need help. They couldn't loose her now. Not to that darkness. She'd survived plunging into his nightmare. He was not letting her get taken by another. They needed her. Hanji said some shit about people in a coma could hear what you say to them. The angel sighed.

"You better not die on my watch. I'm the only one who's aloud to decide what happens to you. Don't forget that, Petra. It's been like that since day one."

He took his hand back and looked at it. He had her sweat on it. He let out a 'tch' in annoyance, but found himself just staring at it a while before taking a tissue out and wiping it off. Then, at the same time he stood up, Erwin stepped into the room.

"Levi. Marco and the others are back. We need to talk."

"Yeah."

The Captain threw one last look at the sleeping girl before following the Commander out.

"I don't suppose anything good came out of their investigation?"

"I'm afraid not. We might very well need to add Timothy Kiler to our list."

* * *

 **Well, that happened! What will the Scouts do now that they have their backs against the wall? See you next** **chapter! ;)**


	20. Chapter 20

**Hey guys! I'm finally recovering a little! It took me less than a month to update this time! I hope you're proud of me and hopefully not too angry... hum,hum anyways, here's the next chapter, where things aren't quite so organized anymore for the Scouts and where we get a glimpse of our bad guys too! ;)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"You idiot!" Shouted the infuriated man. "You should have hunted them down and gotten rid of them for good! You had them cornered in their own base! How could you let them escape?!"

"Calm down, Woerman. They're tougher than they look. You're the ones who didn't give me enough time to plan."

"There was no need!"

"No need? Sure." Growled the clone. "Sending a bunch crazy monsters that haven't been fed for days on a bunch of trained fighters with firearms and genius strategists? Best plan of the century, did you figure that out yourself? Amazing results by the way. About twenty Scouts down for thirty four Titans? Great victory. You should get a medal for that."

"Shut your mouth Lucifer." Snapped Dok. "Everything is a fiasco because of you. You should have killed Levi when you had the chance. And the girl too for that matter."

"That was a stupid order. If Timothy Kiler learns that anything happened to her, you think he'll cooperate quietly?"

"Who cares?" Said the head of the project. "We still have three easy targets. It wouldn't have changed anything."

"I disagree."

"Your opinion doesn't matter."

"Then why did you go out of your way to make Jeager create me? No matter how you look at it, you made me because you couldn't talk him into working for you. As for my reason for not killing him, it's because I found him interesting. The other me. That and he would have probably killed me."

Dok brought up his sleeve and showed his watch to the angel. "Be very careful, Lucifer. If I so much as suspect that you're even thinking of betraying us, I'll send you right back to hell."

"Scary." Stated the angel before cracking a cocky smirk. "But you know damn well that without me, your Titans are useless. I'm the only one on your side with the Alpha status. By the way, you should pray that HE doesn't know what Alpha status means. You can activate the bomb if you want. But good luck for the end of your plan with only three monsters."

"Four!" Shouted Woerman.

The angel chuckled. "You're not counting Jeager's kid, are you? This one will prefer to get tortured to death rather than help us."

"You're the one one who's suppose to train him."

"Some are just unbreakable. That almost puts him at the Captain's level in my esteem."

"Stop talking nonsense. The next time you see them, finish them. And find out where the Scouts are."

"Alright. But we're wasting our time. Levi knows the undergrounds like the back of his hand. And they might not even be down there anymore."

"I don't care. Sweep the base and find out!"

"Suit yourself. By the way, how are the negotiations with Pixis and Aust going?"

"Slow. But we're getting there."

"Well you better hurry. If we have only dead bodies to present to the General, we won't go very far in the project." Declared the angel before exiting.

He travelled through a couple hallways, heading towards the floor bellow. Those idiots were so overwhelmed they couldn't even see their plans were useless. He was going to have to rectify it. Like always. At least, the longer this took, the more time he would have to find the explosive chip placed somewhere in his body. They had no intention of letting him live after this. So for now he played along. Dok and Woerman were blind and they wouldn't see it come. He finally reached the door he was looking for and opened it. The three people inside looked up.

"Get up you three, we got work to do."

"Do we finally get to do something interesting?" Asked one of them. "I'm tired of playing lapdog to that one-eyed bastard."

"Sharpen your fangs, you're gonna get to eat soon." Said Lucifer. "We're changing tactics. The Scouts are clever and they're seriously starting to be a pain in the ass."

"Woerman's sad excuse of a plan failed?" Said another. "Why am I not surprised? Has either of them come up with something good this time?"

"We'll have to play along to cover ourselves, but we're doing things my way now."

"So, what's your plan boss?"

"We're proceeding by elimination. One target at the time. We get the heads, the rest will crumble. These are our targets : The Captain, the Head of the science Branch, the Tracker and the Strategist. But first we need to get close to them. And right now is the perfect moment."

* * *

 **Scout's sanctuary**

The Commander, the Captain, the Head of the Science and Medical Branches, the first through fifth Lieutenants and the four normals were gathered around a table in one of the stone houses. Marco was looking straight at Erwin, waiting for a reaction from the Commander. Although all the angels could sense his nervousness. As for the other three, you just had to look at them to tell that they were uncomfortable. The pseudo detective genius had reported everything they'd seen and was waiting for Erwin's judgment. After a long minute of silence went by, the black haired teen asked.

"Well, Commander? What now?"

"Now, things are even worse than what I initially thought." Responded the Commander frowning. "Jean, are you certain the people who attacked you were soldiers?"

"I know what I'm talking about. They had military gear and Krista even saw one of their guns. Trust me, they were military." He seemed to be lost in thought for a second. "And they weren't special forces."

"How can you tell?" Asked Levi, glaring.

"My old man's a high rank in the Military Police's special forces. These guys were way too sloppy. Most of them were pretty young soldiers and clearly not used to not carrying guns."

"So it's the regular army?" Said Hanji. "Strange... Why were they after you?"

Marco spoke again. "The bigger question is why do they know about angels."

"Why do you say that?"

"I asked Mike to pretend to bite one of them to see his reaction. He was scared out of his mind for sure and passed out. But I didn't see any surprise or astonishment on his face. Like he knew. It's only my gut feeling talking, but it's safer to assume they might know about angels."

Eld rubbed his forehead and growled. "What the hell is going on?"

Krista suddenly raised her hand. "Hum... can I say something?" She asked.

"Tch. This isn't a classroom brat." Said Oluo. He clenched his teeth when he received a kick under the table.

"Go ahead." Said Gunther.

The petite blondie took a folder out of her bag. "I've been digging into Mr Aust's business with the castle. Seems he's been dealing with us for a good six months now. But unlike what everyone thought, he's not here to do business with the castle. He's been dealing with the army's special forces." She handed the folder to Levi. "The soldiers that were after me were trying to get this back."

Levi turned to the Commander. "You think they've got the army on their side?"

"That is impossible. We technically are special forces ourselves. If the army is operating, it means the King knows about it. I'm fairly certain the answer lies with Aust."

"Should we go shake him up?"

"No. At east not directly. They're still a possibility that he's Nile Dok or Kitts Woerman."

Jean crossed his arms. "When you say not directly, you mean you're gonna use Krista again, don't you?"

Levi gave him a death glare. "Do I have to remind you who agreed to our deal?"

"Stop it Levi." Scolded Erwin before turning back to the teenager. "Not necessarily, but she will be a valuable ally to get Scouts inside the castle."

"I'll do it." Assured the short blondie. "Whatever you need me to do, I'll do it."

Erwin smiled. "Thank you Krista. But we'll let this be for now, we've got more pressing matters."

"What are we going to do about Amanda and the kids?" Suddenly said Ymir. "Now that we know that Tim's being used by these bastards, we have to hide them somewhere."

"Bad idea." Immediately said Levi. "You said it yourself, the house is under surveillance. Now that Petra's escaped they'll double their guard around it to keep her from warning her folks. This house is a trap now. Plus, it'll show the bastards that we have a weakness."

The girl suddenly stood up and slammed her hands on the table. "You son of a bitch!" Shouted the ex-thug. "So you're gonna let them be hostages until they decide to kill them? Is that what your saying?"

"As long as Kiler keeps doing what he's told, which he is, they won't touch them."

"I don't agree with this!" She continued, her eyes throwing daggers. "We have to get them out of the line of fire!"

"Ymir." Said Marco quietly. But everyone turned to him none the less. He looked at her with a very serious look, which was rare for him. "I know how you feel, but the Captain is right. What I can tell from that sloppy attack on the HQ is that they're getting nervous. You don't send a bunch of bloodthirsty monsters to fight against a trained and organized army. It's ridiculous and rash. If something goes against there plans again, like loosing their hostages, they might act impulsively again and their next target could be anyone. Anyone in the city, even the King. It's better to avoid getting them even more anxious for now."

The girl looked down and clenched her fists. She was sick of this. Sick of feeling powerless while her best friend and her family, ones of the only people who cared about her, were in the middle of this nightmare. And all she could do was take orders from a shady group and it's midget leader that might want to kill all of them. Ymir threw an angry glare at her friend.

"Why do you protect them? Because of this guy, Petra was kidnap and nearly got killed! And you wanna side with these heartless bastards?"

"Ymir, shut up!" Shouted Krista. All eyes turned to the short girl. "Unlike them, we didn't loose Petra and the Captain did everything he could to save her. They lost nineteen people, can you at least be a little considerate about that?"

"Yeah, watch your mouth before you call them heartless." Said Jean.

Levi hadn't taken his eyes off the four teenagers. Truth be told, he was annoyed with Krista and Jean's intervention. He had accepted long ago that he was a monster. He would be the one to carry the responsibility for all of what the brats did. He was going to murder Dok and Woerman. Their blood was on his hands. So was Timothy Kiler's. The man probably knew too much. If they wanted his help, they'd need to give him details on all of this. If that was the case, he'd have to be silenced. For good. It was better if they never thought of him as an ally. Ever. At this thought, an image of Petra came to mind. _Are you my Levi?_ He clenched his teeth and let out a discreet tch. Why was he thinking about her now? His eyes came back to the four normals. Technically speaking, they should be on the list too. They knew too much and they were just teenagers. There was really no guarantee that they were going to keep their mouths shut. A year ago he wouldn't have hesitated. However now, he couldn't even picture spilling their blood. They were like all the angel brats. Just kids. He pushed the thoughts away and got back to reality.

"Anyways, the priority for now is getting back our stuff from the lab. If they get their hands on it well... let's just say we're in deep enough shit as it is. I'm taking a small team with me and we'll go recuperate everything we can. Then, we'll blow up the armory. We can't carry everything and letting them have easy picks on the weapons is also stupid. Anything else you can think of me doing up there Erwin?"

"Check my office and yours, see if anything important was stolen."

"Anything specific in mind?"

"The report of three years ago." He said no more. He didn't have to though. The angel Captain knew why it was important and nodded to his Commander. He turned to the Head of the science branch. "Four-eyes?"

"You won't be able to take all of them, so the cylindric glass jars with blue tags on them. But I also need all my computer data. But to access it... you're gonna need Petra..."

"We'll just bring the entire computer."

"You can't, it's too big to carry around the narrow ways."

"We'll figure something out. Eld, Gunther get those in your teams still available and tell them to prepare. I don't want anymore than twelve people going."

Erwin stood up. "Levi, you need Petra for this."

"You saw in what state she's in. The kid has to rest."

"Then wait until she's awake. But you're going to have to give her access to the computers."

"Fine."

"LIEUTENANT HANJI!" Shouted a new voice from the entrance. Everyone turned around to see Rico, with a completely panicked look on her face.

Hanji stood up. "What is it Rico?"

"It's Petra, ma'am. She's gone!"

"WHAT?!" Said everyone in unison.

Jean, Marco, Krista and Ymir immediately ran out of the stone house to run towards the one that served as the pseudo infirmary, closely followed by Levi. Indeed the bed was empty and the jacket and shoes that were on the chair next to it were gone as well. But a holster with a gun in it was laying there.

"Damn it!" Cursed Ymir. "Where'd she go?"

The angel captain turned to Rico. "Did you tell her how to get out of here?"

The young woman with glasses looked down. "Yes sir..."

"When did you see her last?"

"An hour ago, I think."

"What else did she say?"

"She could barely talk. I'm surprised she can even walk." Continued Rico. "I told her about what happened while she was kidnapped but that's it."

"Did you tell her about Marco's mission?"

"Yes, why?"

Once more, Levi clenched his teeth in anger and annoyance, when he understood where she was headed. "That stupid brat!" He then turned to Jean. "Horse face! I need your mutts."

* * *

 **Rose, Petra's neighborhood**

I kept running as fast as I could. My head hurt so much I was on the brink of passing out from the heaviness. The pressure in my mind was awful. I didn't know how I got out. I didn't even remember what Rico told me. I wasn't sure where I was but there was one thing I knew. I knew where I was heading and why. I had to see it for myself. See if Amanda, Myra and Alec were okay. It was the only thing on my mind. All I could think of. It was pitch black outside. I had no idea what time it was, but that was the least of my worries. I could hear myself panting, and I knew my muscles were sore from being forced to move while my body was completely exhausted. When I reached my streets I finally stopped to catch my breath. I looked at my house. There was light inside. Amanda and the kids were here. Maybe even Tim. I started walking again, but not straight. I guess that's how you feel when you have a hangover. I had to help them. Take them with me and find a place to hide them. To take them away from Dok and Lucifer and Titans and everything. I slowly approached the house, typed the code to open the outdoor gate, slowly walked up the stairs leading to the front door, grabbed the handle …. and the door opened. I just stood there holding it, until I heard footsteps coming from the kitchen... to see Amanda wearing her flower apron and holding a spoon. She made a surprised face.

"Petra? What on earth are are you doing here?"

A huge sensation of relief travelled up from my stomach to my head and tears escaped my eyes. I ran towards my foster mom and threw my arms around her. I hugged her as hard as I could, thanking God. I felt myself tremble against her. She dropped her spoon and hugged me back.

"What's wrong, sweety? Did something happen? And what are you wearing?"

I forced myself to let go of her and grab her by the shoulders. "Amanda you have to listen to me. Wake up Alec and Myra. You have to get out of the house!"

She gave me a stunned look. "But... why? What's going on?"

"I'll explain later, but please I'm begging you! You have to trust..."

I suddenly felt something sting my neck and my words got cut of in my throat. I fell to my knees and my vision got even more blurry. I felt all my strength abandon me at once. Realizing what was going on, I stared with horror at Amanda that had a shocked and terrified look on her face. She called out my name but it was like hearing someone scream in water.

"Run..." I managed to let out. I then passed out before I could feel the ground.

* * *

When I opened my eyes again, it was dark. I was still laying on my belly. It took a few seconds for my vision to adjust. I could feel the cold from the wind. I soon realized that I was on the wooden floor of my room. The wind was telling me that my window was opened... And someone was sitting next to me, on the floor. A familiar face... accompanied by an unfamiliar smirk.

"Good morning sleeping beauty. I hope you had pleasant dreams."

"Lucifer..." I tried to move to get away but soon realized that my body was completely paralyzed. Even my vocal chords seem to be paralyzed. My voice was barely audible. But that couldn't keep the angel with the hearing ability of a dog from hearing me.

"Sorry about that. You should be paralyzed for another half hour or so."

"W-where's Amanda?"

"Well, we took the kids with us, but I was a little hungry so your foster mom has probably died of hemorrhage by now. And the brats couldn't stop crying so I had to beat them a little to make them shut up."

My eyes widened in terror and I felt something turn in my stomach. But the angel just chuckled at me. "I'm joking. The three of them are fine and unharmed. And they will be as long as your foster dad does what he's told. So you shouldn't worry about them. Now, the question is what do I do with you?"

He brought his hand to my face and caressed my cheek before playing with my hair. "Tell me something. How does it feel to have betrayed your allies?"

I flinched and clenched my teeth. "You tricked me... I didn't betray anyone!"

"But that's how you felt, didn't you? It doesn't really matter now though. What should I do now? Maybe torture you and make you spill the current location of the Scouts?" His hand traveled slowly from my hair to my back, going in circle as if he was massaging me. "With you completely paralyzed, I can think of quite a few methods to make you spill your guts..."

It felt disgusting and so wrong. His hand on my back like that, touching me as he pleased. I felt my heart accelerate and blood rushing to my face. "I'm not telling you anything!" I swore.

"How brave." His hand came back up until he grabbed the back of my neck. "Do you know what'll happen if I put too much pressure right here?" He said as his hand started pressing in on my neck. "You'll die."

I gulped and inhaled deeply before saying. "Do your worst, monster."

He chuckled again and took his hand back. "Amazing. You're this close from passing out from the fear but you still manage to say stuff like that. You're contradictory. On the inside you're probably dying to beg."

I didn't answer, and tried to ignore his hand stroking my back. He then took it back and I saw him reach away to grab something on my bed. It was my parents' picture. "You must have wondered how much of a stalker I was to have found out about this picture. I have a little time left, so while you lie there, let me tell you a story. I was born or finished if your prefer about three years ago, not long after Levi and the Scouts of lab A escaped. And seven months ago, I was given a special mission. Eliminate two people. Two people that were, as I was told, Doctor Grisha Jeager's assistants in the creation of the angels for a while. I never met the two before so I didn't know them and had to track them for a bit. When I finally managed to find them, they had changed names. And the two of them were married and had two kids. In the end, I didn't have to do anything. That dumb car accident happened. They died along with their son. Then I went to their house to find what Dok and Woerman ask me to find. Of course, I found nothing. Except their daughter. I already knew her, since I'd met her a year before that on the rooftops of Rose. And when I saw her that day, she was putting away a picture of her family under her pillow."

By the time he was done, I was shaking from head to toes. With fear yes, but now also with complete disbelief. He couldn't mean... no it couldn't be possible. Lucifer grinned at my expression and leaned towards me. "That couple's names were Eric and Jennifer Ral. Quite a coincidence wouldn't you say? Looks like you and I were destined to meet. Fate's cruel to you, Petra."

"You... killed my parents... and Toby?" I asked as if I was hoping I'd heard wrong.

"I was going to, yes. Not your brother though. But the accident took care of that for me." He came closer to me. "I'll let you meditate on that. I can't stay too long, my nagging bosses will get pissed and if you're here alone, that means he's not far behind. But before I go, you won't mind if I have myself a drink, will you?"

He didn't wait for me to answer and grabbed the collar of my jacket to pull it away and uncover my shoulder. I felt goosebumps appear on my uncovered skin and then his warm breath on it. "Don't hold back if you feel like screaming. I won't mind at all."

I didn't have to look at him to know he was grinning. I closed my eyes and shut my mouth as tight as I could. This guy, doing this kind of stuff with Levi's face and his voice... no way was I giving him satisfaction. Not in a million years. Then I felt his fangs starting to slowly and painfully dig through my flesh, tearing the blood vessels and making the red liquid gush out. If it could, my entire body would have tensed up like hell. I wanted to scream more than anything. The pain was unbearable. I bit my lips together to keep. Do you know what it feels to be eaten alive? Well that's what I was feeling right now. I could hear him swallow and breathing on my skin, greedily draining more of my vital red cells. It felt like each time he drank, his fangs would go deeper and each time I was this close to screaming. But I never did. Tears did stream down my face, betraying how much pain I was in, and I couldn't help grunting. But I never screamed. But then, only a minute or so after biting, he took his fangs out and pulled away. Wiping the blood dripping from his mouth, he stated.

"That's enough for now. Not that I don't enjoy it, but I'd rather not get more paralytics in my system that I can deal with. Thanks for the treat. But it's a little disappointing that you didn't scream. I'll have to step up my game next time."

'There's gonna be a next time?' I thought. He stared at me for a while, and started playing with my hair again. "You know, the offer is still on. Imagine for one tiny second that the Scouts do manage to get rid of us. What do you think they'll do with you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You and you father know way too much about all of this. And I know how desperate the Scouts are to keep their existence a secret. Your father is probably already on your dear Levi's hit-list. As for you well... since he likes you, I guess he'll keep you as a pet."

I felt my heart skip a beat. "You're lying."

"I'm him Petra. Anything he thinks, I think it too. Do you want me to prove it? I'll tell you one of his dirty little secrets." He moved my hair away from ear and touched my piercing. He came closer and whispered in my ear. "We're both slightly stigmatophile."

I was prepared to deny anything he told me, but this sentence immediately triggered the memory of what happened in Levi's office some time ago. But before I could start thinking of all of that, the clone pulled away and stood up.

"Don't worry, I'm not taking you with me. But don't get me wrong, I'm not doing this for you. It's just more convenient for me. The poison should wear off soon. Until then, you should try and think about what you should do with everything I just told you. Think carefully about who's side you should be on. It seems our fate keeps bringing us together. Good night Petra."

And just like that without another word, he walked away. I listened until the noise of his footsteps disappeared. There was too much in my head, and I didn't have enough energy to think straight. But I started to feel my muscles again. So for the next fifteen minutes, I worked on moving these muscle to drag myself closer to my bed and sit up. It took everything I got. Then I heard quick, inhuman like footsteps walking in the house on the first floor. It was an animal walking on all four. Then it dashed up the stairs and Eska appeared at my door. When she saw me, she ran towards me and started licking my face, enthusiastically. Not having the strength to push her away and too happy to know Jean wasn't far, I let her do it. Then she stopped and looked towards the door before barking a couple times. I heard a couple people running up the stairs and Jean and Levi walked into the room. My dog trainer friend walked towards me and knelt down in front of me before giving me a slap.

"You idiot! What were you thinking? Are you trying to get killed? That was practically suicidal!"

"I'm sorry..." I just said. "I wasn't thinking straight."

"No you weren't!" He looked at my shoulder. "You're hurt. What happened?"

"He was here, wasn't he?" Asked Levi.

I nodded. "They took Amanda and the kids." I let out with a strangled voice.

"Shit." Cursed Jean.

"Jean. Go outside with your mutt and check to see of no one else is around. Angel or normal. I'll take care of her. And don't turn on any lights."

"Okay." He turned back to me. "You're alright with that?"

I nodded and he left, followed by Eska. Levi got me off the ground and made me sit on my bed... and then giving me my second well deserved bad slap.

"One wasn't enough." He stated, before taking a tissue out of one of his many pockets and wiping the blood off my skin. But unlike what I was expecting, I got no lecture. He just remained quiet while getting the red liquid off me. But it was too quiet for me. I wanted to talk. To avoid thinking about everything Lucifer had told me. I didn't have the energy for that so I wanted to distract myself.

"Levi, I..."

"Shut up." He snapped, before bringing his mouth to my shoulder and covering the bite mark with it. The area around it became so hot that shivers travelled throughout the rest of my body, making me tremble. Now I had the choice to either think about Lucifer or think about Levi. I choose the latter and my cheeks turned crimson. For a second I was thankful that it was dark, but then I remembered he could see in the dark. I risked a glance at him, but saw that he had his eyes closed. He was frowning. I probably had added a lot to his current level of stress. I suddenly felt really stupid. Sick people do stupid things when they should be resting. And right now I wanted nothing more than to rest. Somewhere I knew I was safe. Somewhere near him.

"Hey, don't fall asleep on me kid. And I swear, if you pull something like that again, I'll handcuff you to your bed."

That was my last warning to tell me to not try to talk again. Those hands... those warm hands that were taking care of me and handling me roughly but so carefully... would they really end my family and take everything away from me.

* * *

 _*Stigmatophilia : tattoo and/or piercing fetish_

* * *

 **And once again, we THOUGHT we knew everything! Huuh! And what has Lucifer planned out for the Scouts now? And how is Petra going to act with levi now that she thinks he might be a real threat to her family's survival? And who were the three people Lucifer talked to? So many questions... and so many answers to come! (Insert evil laugh here!) . Anyways, hope you liked it and PLEASE REVIEW!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Hey guys! Here's the latest chapter and once again, it took me less than a month to update! I'm recovering! Anyways, I made it extra long for you this time and put a little sweetness in it! Hihi!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **External POV**

"I KNEW IT! I FUCKING KNEW IT, YOU BASTARD! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" Shouted the tall girl with freckles, before throwing herself on the angel captain, her knife in her hand. Levi moved out of the way, grabbed her wrist and her arm with an iron grip and threw the ex-junkie over his shoulder. Ymir landed heavily on her back, crashing on the stone ground. Her breath got cut off and she let out chocked breaths to catch it. The angel twisted her wrist do she would drop the knife, which she did. He kept her arm twisted like that for a while.

"Calm the fuck down, freckles. I don't have time to deal with your short fuse and teenage bullshit." He said with a low yet clearly pissed off voice. "In case you didn't notice, killing me isn't going to bring back her family. So if you don't have anything productive to say, I suggest, you shut your mouth and do what your told. Otherwise, I'm gonna have to find a way to make you, got it?" He insisted on the last two words by twisting her arm a little more.

Ymir clenched her teeth. "You asshole..." Grunted the girl, but he could see tears of pain in the corners of her eyes.

Believing his point was made, the Captain let her go and turned to his first and second Lieutenants. "All right we've wasted enough time. Eld, Gunther who do you have available?"

"I've got Thomas, Connie, Armin and Sasha in one piece." Responded the blond man.

"And I have Mikasa, Samuel and Rico." Stated Gunther. "But Sir, I think it's better if they get a dose before we go. Just in case."

"It's wiser, especially if you come across those monsters again." Said Hanji. "But we gave everything we had in reserve here to the wounded. And who knows what they did with the ones up there."

"Then you've got us." Said Krista. "Well, I can only speak for myself but if you need blood, I'll give it to you."

"Count me in too." Said Marco.

"Me too." Said Jean. "What about you, Ymir?"

Ymir let out an annoyed sound before saying. "Fine."

"And with me, that makes five." Added Erwin. "We should be able to give everyone a small portion. It should strengthen your senses and your body for a while."

"Six. Count me in too."

All eyes turned to the entrance. Petra walked in, all dressed in her uniform, the holster and gun on her leg. And her expression was... unreadable. There was visible uncertainty and frustration, some of them were sure that she was still shaking and her face was still pale. But at the same time, there was an undeniable determination in her eyes.

"Petra!" Said Krista. "You shouldn't be walking around."

"I told you to stay in bed, kid."

"And I'm telling you, no." She replied immediately, frowning at the angel. "I'm coming with you. You need me for the computer anyways, Hanji told me."

"We'll manage. You stay in the infirmary and don't move from there until I tell you to."

Petra's fist clenched and she walked quickly towards the Scout's captain. She grabbed him roughly by the shirt and made him back up a step, hitting the reunion desk in the process.

"You can't order me to stay! I'm coming wether you like it or not!"

"You don't have a say in this." Growled the Captain, unaffected by his position.

"You're the one who dragged me into this in the first place! And we made a deal! I work for you, keep your secret and you let me live! Not I sit on the sidelines and look pretty until everything is over! This is my family they took! That's why I have a say in this! THIS IS PERSONAL!"

"Exactly." Snapped Levi, pushing her hands away. "Too personal for you to use your mind properly."

"It's been personal from the beginning, Captain!" She shouted. "If there is a single person here that's not motivated because of personal matters, then tell me who it is! I've risked too much, and I gave too much to go back on anything now! I'll do anything you tell me to do, I'll even put a bullet through my head when all of this is over if that's what you want! But don't leave me out anymore. I may not be an angel, but I'm just as involved as you, even if it isn't for the same reasons!" She grabbed his jacket and pulled him towards her. "So I'm begging you Captain! Don't leave me behind! Please!"

A sense of loss about everything. A single goal to attain. A single hope to keep you going. That's what those eyes were screaming. Give me a chance to take back my life. Levi knew all too well this feeling. Every single one of the brats here and himself had the same eyes when they asked help from the government and were waiting for an answer. His eyes traveled down to her leg. She had picked up the weapon and strapped it on herself. And considering the shock she was in not twenty four hours ago and her panic attack, that was some resolution the kid was showing. Kid. The nickname didn't suit her if she was wearing that face. And that plea sounded more like an order than anything else. In normal circumstances, he probably would have beaten the hell out of her. He didn't want her to go. He didn't believe she was completely recovered. It was impossible. But they needed her. They must have been staring for too long, because Erwin spoke to bring them back to their initial problem.

"She's right Levi. All of us are a bit crippled but we don't have time to waste. Take her with you."

"Tch." He turned back to her. "If you so much as blink without my permission, you'll spend the rest of the week under sedatives. You got me."

She sighed and looked relieved. Levi frowned and turned to the Lieutenants. "Gather those who are coming here. We eat here and then we leave immediately."

"Sir!" Both responded in unison.

"I'll go get a needle for Connie." Said Hanji.

"Why?" Asked Marco.

"He's a Positive. He can't bite you directly, unless you don't mind getting infected."

'So that's why Levi gave me a shot when he bit me.' Thought the ginger.

"Wait, so they're gonna drink directly from us?" Asked Ymir.

"It's faster that way." Explained Hanji, only to get Ymir rolling her eyes at her and making a face.

The four normals and the Commander started removing their jackets, so that they would only be left in tank tops. Petra looked away when the jacket fell off the Commander's armless shoulder. It wasn't the time to think about guilt. Jean growled.

"Am I the only one that suddenly feels like livestock?" He said.

"You volunteered, remember?" Said Krista.

"If you're too chicken to do it, no ones forcing you, Horse-face." Said Levi.

"Who said I'm scared?!" Jean snapped back. "And quit calling me that!"

Petra was about to do the same but a strong grip closed in on her wrist and pulled it away from her jacket. "Not you." Said Levi with a menacing voice.

"But why?"

"Did you forget that you got bitten a few hours ago, you airhead?"

"He didn't take that much, I'm sure I can take..."

"Are you already breaking the rules of our agreement? This is an order."

Having nothing to say back and knowing that negotiating was useless, Petra closed her jacket. A few minutes later, Eld and Gunther were back with Connie, Sasha, Samuel, Thomas, Mikasa and Rico came in, soon followed by Hanji. Erwin told her to take his blood for Connie while the others paired up. The young angels were obviously uneasy at the idea of biting their comrades, especially Sasha but they didn't have a choice. Mikasa and Samuel paired up with Jean, Gunther and Sasha with Marco, Thomas with Ymir, Eld with Krista and Rico and Connie, with the Commander. Jean looked really tensed in his chair when Mikasa approached.

"Are you sure you're alright with this?" She asked as expressionless as ever.

"Y-yeah! No sweat." Stuttered the tough guy. "You need it right? For the good of the mission."

"I'm sorry about that." Said the young asian girl. "I'll be quick, I promise. Tell me if it hurts too much."

He gulped and attempted to brush it off as nothing once more. Mikasa knelt down beside the chair and took his forearm delicately in her hand. Petra could see Jean holding his breath and looking away. A sweat drop slid from his forehead to his cheek. Mikasa opened her mouth as she got closer to his wrist. It felt like her fangs were stretching out. Then, with a quick move, she pierced his skin with her fangs. Jean held back a scream but still grunted and clenched his teeth. 'Damn, hurts like a bitch!' Thought the dog trainer. When Eska and Orion started growling, he turned his head to look at them and ordered the canines to sit. They immediately relaxed and obeyed. Samuel got closer to him as well.

"Sorry about this, man."

"Just do it." Replied the normal, doing his best to stay still.

Samuel lowered his upper body to close pierce the flesh on Jean's shoulder. The teenager once more grunted in pain, but managed to stay still. Soon, Sasha was biting Marco's shoulder, while Gunther was sinking his fangs into his upper-arm. The detective boy's face was twisted in pain, but just like his best friend, he was fighting it. Thomas approached Ymir and once more apologized.

"I'll be as gentle as I can." Reassured the blond angel with a smile.

Ymir gave him a face. "Are you an idiot?" She said looking away. "It'll hurt worse if you do that. Just do it quickly. I'm used to that kind of thing anyways. I've been stabbed more times than you can count..." She mumbled. Petra could have sworn that she caught a hint of red on the cheeks of her dark skinned friend. Ymir wasn't used to be talked to like that. Thomas was doing an excellent job at making her uneasy, even though he probably didn't notice. He smiled sadly at her. "Sorry." He said one last time before taking her and roughly piercing the flesh of her palm. She gripped her chair like crazy to avoid punching him as a reflex. Ymir was used to fighting pain. Enduring it was another story. Krista sat on the desk because she was so short next to Eld. She tied her hair with an elastic. She still had that angelic smile of hers, but she was visibly shaking.

"Go ahead, Lieutenant." She said.

Eld cursed inside. He got the worst choice out of all of them. Who would want to hurt someone like Krista, so tiny, so kind? The first Lieutenant apologized to her like all the angels had done before approaching her. Not wanting to see her face, he chose to bite her at the corner of the neck and shoulder. When his fangs sank in her skin, Krista let out a small, painful sound before biting her lips together. Meanwhile, Connie was drinking from a pouch and Rico was feeding on her Commander's wrist.

* * *

 **Petra's POV**

The sound of their fangs entering my friends' flesh. The one of their struggle with the pain. Every time I heard them, I could feel shivers traveling down my spine and something turn in my stomach and I had to fight the urge to get the angels off of them. I was griping my own shoulder, over the place where Lucifer had bitten me. I could have sworn it was itchy again. I looked away to avoid, watching my friends suffer and try to reason myself. The Scouts weren't enjoying this either. All of them were frowning and sucking as fast as they could, to get this over with. And that made themlook like greedy beats draining their prey. But they weren't monsters. They were people who had their life stolen from them. Feeding on your comrades vital red cells probably didn't feel great to them either. As expected they pulled away after a few minutes. But it sure had felt like an hour to me and probably an eternity to the guys. Hanji disinfected and placed bandages on the bite marks of the 'livestock'. All angels were visibly distraught. This was probably a burden, a reminder of what they were and what it implied. This thought brought me to think about Dok and Woerman again. What the hell could these guys want to accomplish by turning kids into monsters? And why clone Levi? All these questions must have been torturing them for the past three years. Yeah. Really personal business.

An hour later, our small squad composed of the Captain, Eld, Gunther, Connie, Sasha, Samuel, Rico and Mikasa, was going back up in the narrow and dark passages of the undergrounds. Levi had broken us up in pairs of two and everyone walked two minutes behind every pair. Just in case of danger. And of course, guess who got to be the lucky one to go with the Captain? We were the first because Levi knew the passages best. Aside from the sound of our feet walking, none of us said a word. I wasn't comfortable being this close to him. It was awkward because I didn't know if I could trust him or not. I'd seen light through his darkness, I was certain of that. I was also sure that it was still there. This guy was not a monster. He was a soldier. A soldier that did his duty. Which is why, no matter how different Lucifer and him were, I couldn't bring myself to dismiss the clone's words.

" _Your father is probably already on your dear Levi's hit-list."_

The angel Captain was trying to protect the secret of the Angel Project at all costs. If we succeeded in saving Tim and getting rid of Dok and Woerman, would Levi really take it upon himself to kill my father? What about Amanda? And Alec and Myra? A part of me was rejecting the idea, while another was desperately trying to make me listen to reason. However, there were two things I understood very well. First, Levi was an incredibly kind person. He could have just left after being freed from the lab, but he choose to stand with those helpless kids and find them a goal. And second, he also needed saving. That darkness, that torture... I couldn't take it. He had resolved to free everyone else of their burdens and be the only one to take responsibility for all of the Scouts, even for Erwin. And I had an idea. A very bad one that could turn on me anytime if he caught on to it. Which is why, I'd have to be extra careful.

"You're quiet." He suddenly said. "What are you thinking about?"

I swore that this guy had an alarming-thoughts radar somewhere in that head. "I, hum... I was just thinking that you should have taken blood yourself."

"I don't need it."

"After forcing everyone to take some? Yeah right." I muttered. "Seriously, I'd feel better if you did. You haven't slept since the attack on HQ. The least you could do for yourself is get some energy."

He suddenly stopped and turned off the flashlight. Then I felt myself being pushed against the uneven surface of the cavern's wall and two arms gripped my shoulders. But all I could see were those eyes glowing in the dark. I gulped when I realized how close they were and felt his breath on my neck.

"Are you offering?"

Oh no. No way. Enough of this scare-the-normal-to-keep-her-in-check game. I was not playing that anymore. "I think it's a good idea." I reply honestly. "I've already been bitten anyways. Besides..."

"Besides, what?"

"I'd rather feel your bite than his."

I felt the breath get stronger on my skin and I could have sworn something cold touched it. I shut my eyes, even though it was so dark and prepared myself to feel the pain of being bitten again. But then, I felt something go from my neck, traveling up my face until it reached my forehead... and then received a flick in the middle of it.

"Ow!" I shouted, bringing my hands up to my forehead. "What was that for?"

He turned the flashlight back on. "Think before you talk, stupid. We're close to the HQ. If one of these monsters is still there, they'll smell your damn blood from a mile away. Even horse-face would have been able to tell." He said before resuming the walk. "And don't offer your blood so easily, Petra."

I was surprised that he used my name instead of calling me kid. I followed him until we finally reached the HQ. We waited for everyone to regroup before opening the hidden door that led inside the gym.

"Alright listen up. Eld, you guys take care of the weapons. Gunther, you see if you can retrieve anything from the rooms upstairs. Petra, Rico, Sasha, you're with me. I know it's hard, but this is not the time or place to think about the dead. We'll find a proper time to mourn them. For now, stay focused. Are we clear?"

"Sir!"

Levi ordered everyone to have their weapons ready. I took a knife instead the gun. I still didn't feel comfortable enough holding this thing. Levi opened the door... and the sent of death filled our nostrils. It was especially hard for them, with their excellent sense of smell. But we all took deep breaths before walking in. The bodies had indeed started rotting. I looked away, unable to look at them. I followed Levi in the hallways, looking at his back to avoid accidentally looking at the corpses of the angels among those of the titans. We soon arrived in front of the reinforced-iron door. Levi took off his glove and grabbed the handle. A weird beep sound was heard followed by a series of mechanical noises for a good thirty seconds until it stopped. 'A door handle finger print scanner? Clever.' I thought. The door then slightly opened and we all stepped in. I directly went to Hanji's giant computer while Rico went to the drawers to fetch the Science branch's head's important stuff.

"Sasha, you stand guard for those two. I have to go check out Erwin's office. Wait until I get back."

"Yes sir." Said the angel.

Before leaving, Levi tossed me his flashlight. I entered Hanji's password and plugged in the hard drive she'd given me. I quickly entered a few codes to download the entire data. There was so much I wasn't convinced everything would fit in one hard drive, but when she gave it to me, Hanji sounded confident. The entire download time was nine minutes though. I looked at Rico. She was carefully inspecting the stuff before putting it in her bag. Sasha was chewing on what looked like a cereal bar, but had her eyes fixed on the outside and her gun ready in one hand, ready to move at any sign of suspicious movement.

"Can't you smell them coming?" I asked her.

She shook her head without taking her eyes away from the entrance. "The stench is too strong."

I didn't ask more, knowing she was referring to the rotting corpses. That's when I remembered about the core. I was too shocked last time when I saw the room smashed up and blood everywhere and I was less than excited to go back there. But there might be other unbroken computers. Maybe I could get some of there data back as well. I started heading towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Said Sasha, stopping me.

"I'm just gonna check if there are any intact computers in the core."

"The Captain said to wait."

"It's just down the hall, I promise it's just a peek. Besides, I'm pretty sure all of them are unusable now."

"I have this." I said tapping my gun.

"No." Insisted the brunette. "You told the Captain you'd follow orders. So wait."

I sighed. I didn't like wasting time and I liked even less staying longer than we had to in this graveyard of a base. Hanji's computer beeped, indicating the end and success of the download. I recovered the drive and put in my jacket. Rico soon got up as well, her bag full.

"Well, I've got everything. Petra's right though, we should check it out. Right after I'm done placing those."

At my big surprise, out of her second bag she started taking bomb boxes and placing them all around the room and activating them. "What are you doing?" I asked.

"Captain's order." She replied without interrupting her work. "Once were done here, we'll be destroying the evidence. Letting them have easy picks on it isn't necessary. Especially on the lab and the weapons."

"Radical solution much?" I commented.

When she was done, the three of us went to the core. The lights were dead so even though it wasn't a problem for Rico and Sasha, I had to turn on my flashlight. The sight was the same as before. Blood on the walls, the room completely smashed up. It was hard to navigate around the corpses without looking at them. The angels looked very uncomfortable as well. And of course, not a single computer was even close to usable. As I was still searching for one, Rico started placing bombs around the room. Sasha knelt down next to one of the bodies. From the uniform, I could tell it was an angel. The brunette slowly moved the hair out of the way to uncover the face. She slowly gasped and her face twisted, indicating she was about to cry. Two tears escaped the corners of her eyes.

"Lilly..." She said with a strangled voice.

I gripped my torchlight and clenched my teeth, as my guilt quickly caught up to me. "Sasha, I'm so …."

A hand suddenly grabbed my shoulder. I jumped and let out a scream of surprise. I reflexively threw my elbow in the air, but another hand blocked me. All I could see were two eyes glowing in the dark. "What did I tell you three about waiting for me?" Said the voice of our Captain.

Rico who was finished with the bomb set up approached. "It's my fault sir, I gave the go. I thought it was best if we didn't waste any time."

"Don't do it again. I give the orders here, Rico."

"Yes sir. My apologies." Said the short woman with a determined look.

The angel Captain turned to Sasha. She looked up at him her eyes full of tears. He knelt down beside her and placed a firm hand on her nape. "Tears are for later, kiddo. Hold it in just a bit more."

She sniffled and nodded. She quickly wiped her tears and stood up again. "There's nothing to work on here. Rico, give me the detonators."

"Here you go sir. Where are the others?"

"Already heading back. We still need to rig the armory. Let's go."

We followed the Captain throughout the hallways again. I saw him throw a last sad glare at the fallen angel's body. He was not impervious to emotions but he was damn good at keeping them inside. I stopped when a certain door caught my attention. It was Levi's office. Had he been in there? I looked inside and tried to find the light button only to see that the lights were out in there as well. I turned on my flashlight and looked around. The room was just like we found it last time. Upside down and bloody. I directed my light to the papers on the ground and knelt down to get a closer look. That is until my light went out and only the light of the hallway was lighting the room faintly. I cursed and then froze when I heard a low growling sound. My heart froze inside my chest and I stopped breathing. I very slowly turned my head to the dark side of the room. A pair of golden eyes were staring at me, glowing with hunger. I panicked and reached for the gun, but before I could even touch it, a pair of strong hand grabbed my shoulders and I felt claws dig in my flesh and I was violently pushed down. I screamed in pain before opening my eyes again. The light of the hallway, I discerned a face. A familiar face. He was breathing heavily and looked like air had trouble getting in.

"E-eren?"

"Blood! Give me blood!" He ordered with a desperate voice, before opening his mouth and sinking his fangs in my throat. I felt like I was being torn apart and screamed again.

"L-Levi!" I called out as loud as I could given the circumstances.

I heard running footsteps and the next thing I knew, the titan boy was kicked in the face and thrown back. While I was busy catching my breath and getting over the shock, Eren stood back up and growled at Levi who didn't wait for him to be completely recovered and threw himself on the boy again. The angel captain dodged a slash from the titan's claws, and sent his knee to collide with his stomach as hard as he could. The boy's breath got completely cut off and he fell on all four. Again, Levi didn't wait. He got behind him and circled his neck with his arm, forcing him up to his feet and strangling him in the process.

"Don't kill him!" I shouted.

Thank heaven, he seemed to hear me. He then passed his arms around his and joined his hands behind his neck, making it impossible for Eren to move properly. But he was still struggling like hell. Rico and Sasha helped me up. The short woman pressed a cloth against my bleeding neck.

"Petra!" Called out Levi, obviously having trouble maintaining the 'beast' in place. "Mind giving me a reason as to let him live?"

"This is Eren! The one you shot when you saved me." I explained.

"Rico!"

The short woman let Petra tend to me and ran towards the two male. She took a syringe out of her bag and stabbed Eren in the neck with it. The boy froze and blinked a couple times. His body relaxed and his eyes turned turquoise-blue again... then he closed them and lost consciousness. Levi dropped him and rubbed his upper arms.

"Damn it, he's strong." Cursed the Captain.

"He wasn't himself. Just like last time." I said. "We have to take him with us. I'm sure that if we give him blood, he'll get back to normal and tell us things."

Levi made a face while throwing a disgusted look at the passed out teenager. "Rico, Sasha. Carry him back to base. Tell Hanji what happened." He then looked at me. "You're staying with me."

The girls nodded and picked him up before heading back towards the passage. Levi made a final check on the bombs. I followed him until both of us were back in the passages and closed the hidden door. We went in a little deeper before Levi pressed the detonators. The explosion of the Scout's HQ made the walls of the cavern tremble, thus also creating the grave of all the fallen Scouts. A tear still escaped my eyes in the dark. Both of us waited for the sound to die out before speaking. I had no flashlight anymore, so it was pitch black for me. I felt Levi grabbed my arm roughly.

"Ow!" I complained.

"What were you doing in there by yourself?" He said, and all I could see were his angry eyes. It was creepy.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking."

"That's the problem with you kid, you never think." He scolded. "You're already making me regret to have let you tag along."

"I'm sorry..." I repeated not knowing what else to say. "But if I hadn't, we wouldn't have found Eren."

"Lucky we weren't top far when he decided to have you for dinner."

"I told you, he's not himself. Helped me escape their base the first time."

"And that makes him a good guy?"

"Yes!"

I felt him grab my other upper arm and suddenly felt something warm and wet on my throat. I jumped, surprised and backed up into the wall of the cavern. Again. He was licking the blood that had dripped down my neck and the bite mark at the same time. But even when I was sure the bleeding had stopped, he kept working on that wound. His breathing was loud and I could have sworn I heard faint growling as well. I suddenly started shaking. I forced the words out of my mouth.

"Honestly, Levi. Do it now. You're gonna have to at some point. You might as well get it over with."

"Shut up." Replied the angel letting go off me.

He still grabbed my hand to guide me in the darkness. But I ended up tripping and hitting my head on low ceilings more time than I could count. Levi growled that it wasn't working. He wrapped my arms around what I assumed was his neck and grabbing my legs he made me hop on his back. My face was so hot, it would have melted, but I didn't say anything, knowing this was probably the easiest and fastest way for him to take me back in the darkness. I felt us going down the passages, and the angel didn't seem to have any trouble carrying me. 'How can you be so kind … and be filled with so much darkness at the same time?' I thought. I couldn't … no I wouldn't let those hands get stained again. Without realizing, I'd squeezed him tighter and leaned my head on his shoulder, closing my eyes in the process. His warmth was heating up my cold hands and face.

"Are you tired?" He asked.

I suddenly rose my head again. "Uh...n-no! I just..."

"Don't shout I can hear you fine."

"Sorry." I said with a quieter voice.

"That's why I told you to rest, stupid. Sleep if you want. I'll wake you when we get there."

Finding nothing to say, I placed my head back on his shoulder. 'How am I suppose to sleep now?' I still closed my eyes without falling asleep for real but about twenty minutes later, I opened them when I heard Levi call out for Sasha and Nanaba. Meaning we had caught up with them.

"Hey Captain." Said Sasha.

"Any trouble with the monster?"

"Nope. He's been sleeping like a baby the whole time. Growling and drooling on my shoulder from time to time, but other than that, out like a light."

"Speaking of light, turn your flashlight on Rico." I said.

"You sure you don't want to rest anymore?" Asked Levi.

"I'll rest once were back. Thanks Captain."

He put me down. I grabbed the flashlight that Rico handed to me and we resumed our walk towards the sanctuary. When we reached the Sanctuary, almost everyone was outside the stone houses waiting for us. They all made weird faces when they saw Sasha, carrying Eren on her back. The glutton placed the boy on the ground while Hanji approached him and looked at him like she was about to eat him.

"Levi. Who is that?"

"A titan." Replied Levi. "He attacked us. But he seems to be the one to help Petra escape from them. That's the only reason he's not dead right now."

"This is excellent!" Exclaimed Hanji. "Now I can see for sure what those guys are made off!"

"Way to make it creepy four-eyes." Said Levi. "He needs a bed and sedatives. Lots of them. Make sure he's strapped tightly to it."

"Oh my god..." Said a familiar voice.

Everyone turned to see Armin and Mikasa staring at the titan, eyes wide open and jaws dropped, as if they were in shock state. Levi frowned. He obviously didn't like what was going on. "What is it you two."

"This is... this is..." Stuttered Armin, never taking his eyes off the titan. "How can you... still be alive?"

"Eren..." Finished Mikasa. She approached the unconscious boy quickly took him in her arms and observed him for a long moment. As if to convince herself that it was real. When he groaned a little, the girl's eyes filled with water and a river of tears escaped her eyes. She pulled his body into a hug and sobbed. Levi walked up to Armin and snapped his fingers in front of his face which made the blondie jump.

"Armin! Explain, now."

"This is Mikasa's foster brother and... my best friend. We thought he was dead. He was in lab when it exploded. How could he have survived?" He wiped the tears that had started appearing in the corner of his eyes. I was just a stunned as everyone else. That was one hell of a coincidence. Armin continued. "His name is Eren Jaeger."

"Jeager?" Repeated Levi and Erwin at the same time. The Captain then turned to me. "Did you know about this?"

"N-no. All he told me is that Dr Jeager was dead."

He turned to Hanji. "Four-eyes! Take care of him. And no dissections or observation of any kind without my permission."

"Alright, alright. Rico, Sasha come with me." She ordered. Sasha took the boy from Mikasa's arms (who reluctantly released him) and the two of them followed the head of the Science branch towards the pseudo-lab. Mikasa stood up and didn't blink while watching Eren being taken away. The tears on her face were still not dry. But Levi got there attention again.

"You two." He said, meaning Armin and Mikasa. "Reunion room. Now."

The two nodded and started heading there. Levi ordered the four Lieutenants to do the same and the rest to scatter or go take care of the wounded. And before he and Erwin headed towards the reunion room, Levi pointed at me and then to the pseudo-infirmary house. I nodded and headed there without complaining. The second I got in bed, I fell asleep, exhausted and praying that my family was safe.

* * *

When I woke up, I sat up and rubbed my face and replayed in my mind what I knew. I stayed seated a long time just thinking. And thinking and thinking and thinking. Until I finally came to a decision as to what I should do. I got dressed and attached the holster to my leg again, wondering if I would ever have to gut to actually shot this thing. The time was one in the afternoon. Meaning everyone was probably resting. I saw a couple of them up in the infirmary, taking care of their comrades. I asked Hanna if I could find the Captain anywhere. She didn't even look at me and ignored my question and Thomas had to reply for her. The whole thing was like a small village and I had to walk up some carved stairs to go to Levi's 'house' which apparently served as his office in the sanctuary. When I finally reached it, I hesitated a while before finally knocking on the door. Half expecting him to be asleep, I was about to walk away when...

"Come in." Said a not so sleepy voice.

I entered and saw that even though there weren't as many shelves and books as the one the HQ, this small room was impeccably cleaned. The smell of tea filled the air and I spotted a cup filled with the steamy liquid on a low table. As for the Captain, he was sitting in an old armchair, a book in his hand.

"Didn't I tell you to rest kid?"

"I did. I woke up just now."

"And you came here because..."

"What did you talk about with Armin and Mikasa? Did they tell you anything interesting about Eren?"

"Apart from the fact that he's Jeager's son and has serious anger issues? Nothing. We'll have to wake for him to wake up to get more info."

"Anger issues?"

"He killed three people when he was nine. To save Mikasa from kidnappers, apparently."

"Holy shit!" I let out. I wasn't one to curse easily but this was too much to take in one second.

"Why are you really here?" Asked the Captain, finally closing his book and looking at me. I sat down in a chair facing his. "I want to ask you something. It has nothing to do with the job. It's personal. Will you listen?"

"I'll listen. That doesn't mean I'll answer."

"When all of this is over, if you manage to get rid of Dok and Woerman and keep the Scouts' secret. What will you do?"

"... You want an honest answer?"

"Du-hu." I said annoyed.

"Disappear."

I was expecting that kind of answer. So that was his plan. Taking everyone of the Scout's darkness upon himself and disappear for ever. Make it as if none of this ever happened. Let them return home ready for a fresh start. And not let anyone in. Ever. I closed my eyes for a moment. It had to be like this? Fine. I'd play this new game... and I will win. I stood back up.

"Thank you for answering, Levi." I was about to turn around and leave but then, remembered something. "What about you, have you slept at all?"

"Four hours."

"Four? You have to rest more than that."

"It's normal for me, don't sweat it."

"You should really drink blood." I insisted. "You look a lot paler than usual."

He rolled his eyes. "You're not gonna let this go are you?"

"No."

"Rhetorical question." He said putting his book down and getting up. He walked towards me and only stopped when he was a step away. "You're still offering."

I gave him a determined look before taking off my glove and rolling up my sleeve to confirm it. He slightly frowned and pushed me gently to make me sit back in my chair. He knelt down on one knee and grabbed my hand and with a swift and quick move, bit down on my wrist. I flinched and my whole body tensed up. I gripped the chair with my free hand. Goose bumps appeared everywhere on my body and a chill travelled down my spine. Ironically, my cheeks were burning hot. I thought about these old vampire romance novel for teenage girls were they talk about a state of ecstasy when you get bitten. And the best word to describe that right now was... bullshit! Because first off, it's hurt like hell to have fangs as sharp as razors sink in your flesh like a knife in butter. Second, the dizzy feeling from knowing someone is taking your vital fluid isn't particularly pleasant either. My teeth were clenched and I was shaking. I didn't know if it was discomfort or the cold. I risked a glance at the Captain, expecting to find him eyes closed...except not. He was looking straight at me without blinking! I immediately looked away and suddenly, my whole face turned crimson. Why was he just staring like that? I suddenly felt sweat form on my entire body. Like the embarrassment was spreading. 'Why am I feeling like this? It's not the first time we've been... this _close_! Why was he making it weird like that? This was not necessary! Was he enjoying this? My voice was also paralyzed and I couldn't even bring myself to force words out of my mouth. I could feel his eyes stuck on me like glue. My own heartbeat was resonating in my head like crazy and it felt like an eternity had passed. He finally pulled away and licked his lips.

"Thanks for the food." He said before standing up and heading towards his desk. He took something out of a box and came back towards me. He disinfected my wounds and bandaged it without a word, while I was still in shock and my face wasn't getting it's normal color back anytime soon. When he finished, he put his stuff away and turned one last time to me.

"Happy now? Go rest some more, Petra. I'll wake you when we need you."

All I could do was nod and quickly exit. As I ran down the stone stairs, I tried to forget what had happened in there. This guy was just... so mysterious. Impossible to grasp fully. But I was certain that that was on purpose. Now that I knew his goal was to 'disappear', I knew what I needed to do. But instead of returning to the infirmary, I went to the stone house that served as my friend's room. I made sure no one was around before entering and closing the door behind me. I shook Jean.

"Hey wake up!"

"Five more minutes, mom."

"Jean! Wake up!"

He blinked a few times. "Hmm? Petra? Do you know what time it is?" He said rubbing his eyes.

"I know, I'm sorry. We need to talk." I whispered.

"Why are you whispering?" Said Ymir yawning.

"Keep your voices down." I went to Krista's bed. "Kris wake up. You too, Marco."

Once all my friends awake completely (mostly), the five of us sat in a circle on Jean's bed.

"So, what's your good reason for waking us up?" Said Marco, rubbing his eyes.

I sighed and cleared my throat. "I need your help with something for this you guys. I wouldn't ask if I didn't think it was necessary and I'm sorry but... I won't force you into anything"

"Stop that, ginger." Interrupted Ymir punching me in the shoulder. "We're already in a huge mess together, I doubt you can make it worse. Besides, we're your friends. We signed the contract to help each other out."

"Yeah, whatever crazy idea you got in your head again, we're already in." Continued Jean.

"100% approved." Said Marco with his usual goofy smile.

"Go on, Petra." Encouraged Krista.

I smiled before getting my serious face back. "Alright, listen up." I took a very deep breath. "We're gonna betray the Scouts."

* * *

 **I apologize for that hell of cliffhanger but I couldn't help myself! ;) Anyways, what are we going to learn from Eren? AND WHAT IN THE WORLD IS PETRA THINKING?! Stay alert for next chapter if you want to find out!**


	22. Chapter 22

**Hey guys! Sorry for the delay. Again :(. Anyways, I hope you like this chapter, where our favorite Titan is finally waking up!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

My plan was risky. Deadly if we got caught. Even so, Ymir, Krista, Jean and Marco had all agreed to follow me in my crazy idea and risk their own skin if necessary. I did feel guilty, but in the situation we were in, I was desperate. It had to succeed. It was the only way things could end properly. For everyone of us. After discussing the necessary precautions to take for my plan all of us went back to sleep until Hanji came to wake us up. She wanted all of us as well as all the ranked ones to hear what she'd found out about the Titan boy. So all of us gathered in the pseudo infirmary. Eren was connected to a hundred filters, and I really didn't want to know what they did. He looked agitated. Sweat was forming on his forehead and Rico was constantly wiping it off. I felt so much pity for the boy that I couldn't express it in words. I didn't realize but I brought my hand to my throat and stroke the bite mark. I thought he was going to kill me. Well he probably would have if it brought him the blood he craved like an animal. Hanji grabbed a clip board and turned to us.

"This is not good." She said, staring at Levi and Erwin. "This kid's body is only powered by iron. Lots and lots of it."

"Meaning the kid a natural murderer?" Asked Levi.

"You could say that. I tried feeding him by transfusion but his body rejects it. Unlike us who still need normal food, these guys are and I can't believe I'm saying this... real vampires. That's not the only thing I found. Their constitution is messed up. They need tons of iron and their bodies burn the energy at an alarming speed. In other words, they are constantly starving. I have to constantly shoot him with more anesthetics for him to just stay asleep. "

"Tch. Fucking monsters."

"Yeah, no shit." Replied the usually polite head of the science branch. "This kid is dangerous. I have no idea how many of them there are. And just like us, there's no going back. I'm sorry but, the safest thing to do is to is to eliminate him."

The usually calm, collected and cool Mikasa suddenly showed fear. "You can't!"

"There has to be another way!" Shouted Armin.

"I'm sorry, guys. But I tried everything. His body rejects everything. He's a danger to everyone here and to the people outside. All the titans are. If we let him live as a monster, he'll harm others and himself."

"Commander, please!" Begged the asian girl to Erwin.

"But he isn't..." I muttered.

"Speak up kid." Ordered Levi.

"I said he isn't. He is not a monster. He was lucid when I saw him."

"He tried to take a bite out of you just like he did yesterday."

"But that was after he saved me. I had a normal conversation with him. And he told me that most of them were crazy monsters, but only a handful could actually still talk and act normally. Don't tell me it was just a coincidence that he suddenly turned into a monster only a few days after meeting me. And I think he was being tortured." I added remembering how the guards had treated him when I entered the lab. "And Lucifer said something about Eren not being disciplined. The overconfidence he showed when talking about your future demise has to mean that the other titans are easily controlled somehow. Including the few ones who can act normally like Eren. Before you decide to kill him, we should at least make sure that he's completely lost."

"And how do you want to do that?"

I moved my collar away from my neck. "We feed him. Come on, it's worth a try. If we manage to make him speak, he can give us information."

Hanji turned to her Commander. "She has a point. We do have our backs against the wall. It's not like we risk anything by trying."

Levi stared at me for a while and I stared back, forbidding myself to even blink, thinking it might discredit my determination. "Alright. Wake him up Four-eyes."

"On it, Captain." The medic stopped the flow of anesthetic liquid that was endlessly flowing into the teenager's system. "He should emerge in about ten minutes."

"His system clears out the drug that fast?" Asked Krista completely stunned.

"I can see the danger." Said Marco. "One thing puzzles me though. Petra, you said that he was tortured and beat up a lot, right?"

"Yeah, and?"

"Then how come there's not a single wound left on his body."

All of us turned to the boy once more. He indeed, aside from the restless face, looked as fresh as a daisy. Not one bruise or scar on his body. Were Titans fast healers as well?

"Maybe Titans have a really fast recovery time." Said Hanji, voicing out my thoughts.

"But that doesn't make any sense. I must have seen him twice in the space of twenty-four hours. And his wounds hadn't healed back then."

"That's weird..." Commented Hanji rubbing her chin. She went to the small table where her tools where set and grabbed a scalpel, before coming back to the bed. She grabbed Eren's arm and pulled up his sleeve and then pointed the surgery tool towards his skin. Mikasa freaked out and grabbed her arm.

"What are you doing?!" Asked the panicked Asian girl.

"Relax, Mikasa. I'm only going to pock in a little to see if he's really got rapid cell regeneration."

"Rapid what now?" Said Jean.

"Fast healing." Replied Armin.

The teenage girl, clenched her teeth but took her hand back. But as Hanji started placing the blade against the titan boy's arm, his eyes shot opened. With snake like speed, he grabbed Hanji by the neck with one hand and lifted her off the ground before throwing her against Levi who violently hit the wall. This time, I anticipated. The second I was recovered from the sudden Titan's awakening, I reached for my knife just as Eren turned around to face his prey. As expected he threw himself at me. But as I readied my knife, Krista pushed me out of the way and sent her foot flying in Eren's face, throwing him off course. But that was not nearly enough to make the Titan fall. He quickly got back on his feet and threw himself at the short girl, grabbing her around the throat and pushing her up against a wall. He raised his other hand and took out his claws to strike her, but a small buckle knife thrown by Jean stabbed him in the back of the hand, making him let go off the blondie and roar in pain.

'Now's my chance!' I thought. I held my breath and stabbed myself in the forearm with my knife, grunting in the process. The second my blood dripped out of my body, Eren froze and turned towards me, forgetting all about the pain in his hand. That second of distraction was all that was needed. And good because I was out of options. Levi who was suddenly standing again, appeared right behind the hungry titan, and hit him in the back with his elbow as hard as he could before kicking him behind the knee. It must have been at lung level, because when Eren fell on all four panting like his breath had been cut off. But the angel Captain didn't stop there. He rose his foot in the air again and mercilessly stepped on his spine, forcing him to flatten face first on the stony ground. I flinched at that last hit, and finally understood what he meant by 'when I'll beat you up for real, you'll know'. The angel Captain's eyes were filled with more anger than I'd ever seen. A somewhat contained anger, threatening to go all out. Levi grabbed one of Eren's arms an pulled it up, twisting his wrist in the process, while he grabbed his hair with his free one. Eren roared in pain once more and struggled like a madman to get out of the angel's grasp. But Levi wasn't budging an inch. But that didn't keep him from trying to get free. Levi twisted his arm a little more (little being an understatement) and Eren growled in pain again.

"Listen up, you creepy little freak." He threatened with a deep and slow voice. "Move again and I'll kill you."

Eren's golden lit eyes suddenly widened while looking at Levi's, and he stopped struggling, his eyes stuck to Levi's. His breathing was still rapid though.

"Well, shit." Commented Hanji putting her glasses back on. "Looks like you can even scare monsters now. If you ask me, the kid isn't the creepy one here."

"Shut the hell up, Four-eyes."

The Captain forced the Titan to his knees, never loosening his grip. Mikasa approached the boy and knelt down in front of him. "Eren, it's me. Mikasa." She extended her hand to touch his face, but Eren tried to hit her with his free hand, but Armin pulled her back before he could reach her.

"He can't hear you Mikasa."

Levi turned to the Head of the Science branch. "Four-eyes, how about we get to the next part of the plan before I decide to snap his neck? Get a needle already."

"Thirsty...so thirsty!... Blood... give me blood!" Growled Eren, tears bursted out of his eyes. They weren't tears of sadness. Just tears of exhaustion and madness, probably created by starvation. It was a pitiful sight. I pulled up my sleeve and got closer to the teen and presented him my bleeding forearm.

"Dig in." I muttered ironically.

The second I was in range, Eren's jaw closed in on my arm. I let out a painful scream before clenching my teeth to suppress it. It hurt a lot more than when Levi or Lucifer had bitten me. It reminded me of that time when I was four. The neighbor's dog had bitten me. Well that was about the same sensation... if you multiplied the pain by a hundred. The sounds he made when swallowing my vital red cells made me want to puke.

"Very clever there, kid." Said Levi ironically.

"Hey it was faster. OW!" I let out when his fangs sunk even deeper in my flesh. This time Levi grabbed him around the throat, digging his claws into the boy's neck. "That's enough you leech."

Eren reluctantly released his grasp on me. His body seemed to relax and he shut his eyes. His breathing was gradually slowing down but still heavy. My blood was dripping from his mouth on the ground. All of us were holding our breaths and stared at the boy, Levi never loosening his hold. Eren licked the blood around his mouth and then frowned like something was hurting. His eyes then slowly opened and he then looked up. He looked around the room, looking for something familiar and probably very confused by everyone staring. Until he spotted Mikasa and Armin.

"Mikasa? Armin? You guys are alive?" He asked completely stunned.

The Asian girl smiled in relief and tears appeared on the corner of her eyes. Levi let him go and the two angels went to hug him at the same time. "This is a miracle!" Said Armin, crying in joy. "I can't believe you're still here."

Eren seemed a bit off about what was going on, but still hugged back his friends, but kept looking at everyone in the room at the same time. "You're angels." His eyes finally fell on me. "Petra? You're here too?"

I smiled. "Nice to see you in one piece Eren." I said.

Mikasa and Armin released him, and the Asian girl turned to me. "Thank you." She said. Eren's eyes then lowered and he saw my arm. His irises glowed yellow for a second before he quickly placed both hands on his nose and mouth. Levi already had his gun out and pointed at the back of Eren's head, waiting for the boy to go berserk again.

"Make one move, brat." Threatened the Captain with a low voice. "I dare you."

"Captain, no!" Said Mikasa.

But Eren seemed to have lost all interest in my wound. He slowly stood up and then turned around to face Levi. His claws suddenly came out as well as his fangs. "YOU!"

"Eren wait!" Started Erwin.

"You don't know who this guy is!" Interrupted the Titan. "He's one of them. Dok and Woerman's lackey. He's the one that's been torturing me for the past years! I don't know who you think he is, but whatever he told you is a lie! He's a monster!" Shouted Eren before growling.

Levi frowned his gun still pointed at the boy's head. "Rich coming from the one who nearly murdered someone."

Eren growled back and I shouted. "HE'S NOT LUCIFER!"

Eren turned to me. "What? Of course it's him! They smell exactly the same!"

"Tch. Way to make it creepy, brat." Commented Levi lowering his gun.

"You're not helping!" I told Levi. "Put the gun away and at least look less threatening for five minutes. Eren trust me, I've seen both of them at the same time. He's not Lucifer."

"What is he then?" He snapped back, never lowering his guard. But who could blame him? Even this Levi scared the hell out of me. "His good twin brother?"

"Fuck no." Replied Levi finally putting the gun away.

"In a sense, you're not wrong." Said Hanji. "They have the exact same genetic code."

"Clones?" Said Eren, suddenly startled, before turning back to Levi. "Then my old man wasn't joking... But why? Why would he clone that monster?" Wondered the Titan, looking at Levi once more.

"Watch it, brat. I'm the original copy."

"I'm sorry, but it's gonna take a while to get used to... you. And trust you at all." Said the teenager almost aggressively.

"Well aren't you cocky for a good for nothing brat that just got his life saved."

The angel Captain grabbed him by the collar and threw him against the wall. "Levi!" Protested Erwin. "Give it a rest, the boy's been through a lot. You can't blame him for reacting like that."

The angel looked at the Commander. "I don't blame him. We don't have any time to waste anymore. I'm just going to resolve the problem right here and now." He focused his attention on Eren again, who looked like he was about to get eaten. "Listen up you little twerp, I don't care if you just escaped from the deepest pits of hell. So did everyone in this room. In my book, that's not worthy of much. I don't have the slightest bit of pity for you. You still attacked us and maybe even killed some of us. But I'm guessing you don't remember much of that, do you?"

"K-Killed?"

"Half of our unit has been turned to meat bags, curtesy of your fellow Titans and those bastards that made us freaks. I want you to understand one thing, brat. You're alive right now for one reason and one reason alone. Her." He said pointing at me with his free hand.

"Petra?" His eyes suddenly flashed yellow again. He gasped and quickly brought his hand to his nose.

Levi growled. "Tch. Kid! Would you bandage that already?"

"Right sorry." Rico took a medical band out of her uniform and started bandaging my forearm, while mumbling something about me collecting wounds. Eren was staring at me with frightened eyes, probably scared of what he might do.

"Hey, focus on me brat, I'm not done talking. You've got two options. The first is staying with us, take orders from me and have a chance to crush the Titans and in the process get back at Dok and Woerman for what they did. The second, is you give up and I end you. We've got enough strays on our hands as it is. The offer expires in ten seconds. What do you say?"

Eren suddenly grabbed Levi's wrist and held on to it with a tight grip. "Giving up? Screw that. I'm not letting these bastards off like that. And you can consider the Titans dead." He had a spark of murder intent in his eyes. And I could have sworn I saw a spark of admiration in the angel Captain's eyes.

"Not bad, brat." Levi let go off his shirt and instead grabbed Eren's hand. The one that still had Jean's buckle knife stuck through it. He grabbed the handle and took it out in one quick move. Eren grunted in pain. "The first thing you're going to do, is convince me that you're not the clone around here."

"WHAT?!"

"What are you talking about Levi?" Asked Hanji.

"The super healing." Explained Marco. "Either you can regenerate yourself lizard style, or you're someone else. In this case, a clone would be the most logical explanation. Your hand wound doesn't seem to be closing up."

"I can't say anything about cuts and bruises. But I shot you in the shoulder the first time I saw you." Said Levi. "You don't even have a scar left."

"I'm not a clone! I-I don't know how my injuries healed, honest!"

"I said be convincing." Said Levi.

"But I don't know how."

Marco approached Levi and smiled. "Why don't you let me handle this particular matter, Captain?" He asked.

"Got something up your sleeves, Sherlock?"

"Always." Cockily replied my genius friend. He approached Eren and presented him a hand that the titan hesitantly looked at before shaking it. "Hi Eren, my name is Marco. And in case you didn't notice, or smell, I'm a normal."

"Hum? Nice to meet you, I guess?" Replied Eren a bit confused.

"Before we get to that Captain, how about we let him wash, get him a uniform and give him something to eat? That is if you still eat food..."

"Yeah, I... I'd like that."

Knowing it was part of whatever brilliant plan Marco had cooking up in that big brain of his, Levi sighed before giving his approval. "Fine. Oluo, Gunther. Don't let him out of your sight."

"Sir!" Replied the two Lieutenants, before accompanying Eren out. Rico followed them to dress his wounded hand.

Mikasa was about to follow but Levi extended his arm to stop her. "Not you."

"But Captain..."

"Look. We still don't know for sure who this brat is. Until I say so, the two of you stay away from him. That's an order. Am I clear?

"..."

"Well?"

"Yes, sir." Replied the Asian girl and the blondie.

"Actually you two?" Said Marco. "I'm going to need your help."

"I don't like that look on your face." Said Jean. "What are you up to dude?"

"The only thing we know for sure is that Armin and Mikasa are on our side. They have common knowledge about Eren and what kind of person he is. Especially Mikasa since she's his foster sister, right?"

"Hum, yes."

"What are you getting at?" I said.

"Come on Sherlock, spill." Urged Ymir.

"Cloning is one thing. Transplanting memories however, hasn't been invented yet. If he is a clone, he can't possibly have knowledge of Eren's entire life. Those two would know a lot more than him."

"So you're going to make him talk about his past to see if his memory matches these two." Finished Hanji. "Nice. I love this kid."

Although, a certain blondie didn't seem very convinced. "I'm not sure it's a good idea. There are some touchy subject and Eren can react violently..."

"And those are exactly what we're gonna make him talk about. The more natural he is about all of this, the more convinced I'll be." Said Marco, still wearing his goofy smile.

"But what if he goes berserk again?" Asked Armin, sincerely worried about his best friend.

"First off, we're talking science. This isn't a movie, I doubt that rage can make him loose it completely and revert back to his crazy self. It seems that the only reason he was like that was because of starvation. Second, even if strong emotions could trigger that kind of reaction, then I have all of you to help stop him before he kills me, right?"

"You are insane, Marco." I said shaking my head.

"Erwin, Hanji. We have to talk. The rest of you get lost." Ordered the Captain, before exiting himself. We left as the angel Captain ordered, and Krista, Ymir Jean and I went out way, while Marco took Mikasa and Armin with him.

* * *

 **External POV**

The girl stayed there, laying on top of the container, never taking her eyes off her book, while she could hear the last squealing sounds of the people that her comrades were draining. She was tired of this. Sure Lucifer had a plan, but it could take forever. But the guy was so sure of himself that they didn't have much choice but to wait. Until now, this cover had been to keep track of the Scouts. Not very necessary in her eyes. But she'd be as patient as she had to to get what she wanted.

"Hey Annie." Called out the voice of her tallest companion. "Are you sure you don't want any? You haven't eaten in like a week..."

"When I'll want some, I'll take some."

"As cold as an icicle. Like always." Commented the second one. "If you want my advice, we should be tracking them down instead of waiting for them to come to us."

"You're right. But it's not like we get a say in this." Replied the tall brunet. "With him around, we'll never be completely free, will we?"

His friend smacked him on the back. "Cheer up Bert. We'll get through, the three of us, that's a promise. But you're right. I'm sick of playing lapdog to that one-eyed freak. Ah! The irony. An angel telling three titans what to do."

"It doesn't matter anyways." Said the girl without lifting her head from her book. "When the Scouts show up again, we'll be rid of him. So just suck it up."

"Don't tell me you're enjoying this." Asked the gorilla sized titan.

"At least I shut up."

The metal door suddenly opened and the man with an eyepatch entered. "Well, kids having a feast without the old Kenny? How rude. Anything left?"

"Not unless you like drinking from corpses, boss"

"Pass. I'll hunt later." Replied the older man, lighting a cigaret. "Business is going good. We have four deliveries tomorrow, so make sure to save your strength, not that it would do you any good."

"Anything for your favorite regular?" Asked Bertolt.

"For Levi? No. Now that you mention it, he hasn't asked for anything in a while."

"Are you sure you're eager to see him again, boss? Even if he's got that girl with him?"

The man turned to the blond titan and smirked. " _Especially_ if he's got the girl with him."

RING. RING. RING.

The man with the eyepatch took his phone out of his jacket and picked up. "Ackerman here."

" _I'm calling for another order, Kenny."_

"Speak of the devil. You sound like you're in a rush Levi. What can I do for you?"

" _Forget all your other clients. I want everything you have. Two days from now. The usual place."_

"As usual, you don't beat around the bush do you? A rush order like this is gonna cost you a lot."

" _You think I don't know that you greedy bastard? Do your job and you get your money."_

"Whatever the client wants. But in exchange, I want a little bonus."

" _Talk."_

"Bring that girl from last time. I won't hurt her, I promise."

" _Deal."_

Beep. Beep. Beep.

"Reiner, Bertolt, Annie. Change of plans. We cancel all the orders for tomorrow and report them to Thursday. We've got a meeting with our fellow angel."

"What are you planning on doing to the girl?" Asked Reiner.

"Remember the old saying? An eye for an eye. Hahahaha-..."

POW! The bullet travelled through his head and the gun smuggler fell to the ground, face first, without ever knowing what happened to him. The two male titans turned to their comrade who was holding her gun pointed in direction of the dead angel. "I hate liars." Simply stated the girl.

Reiner took a phone out of his pocket and dialed. "It's us. We finally have a date with the Scouts, sir. Two days from now. What's our next move?"

* * *

 **Petra's POV**

That must have been the most awkward game of 20 questions (more like a thousand questions) I'd ever seen. Every uninjured Scout plus us were present. Eren was sitting on one side of the table in the reunion room with Marco facing him and Armin and Mikasa on each side of the Titan. Let's just say that Marco went with really personal questions about Eren Jeager and that the boy was as red as a tomato for most of the questioning. Honestly, I felt really bad for him and I didn't know Marco could even ask embarrassing questions like that. After the game had gone on for about fifteen minutes, Marco finally turned to Erwin.

"I think we have the one and only Eren Jeager in front of us, Sir."

"And I think I might have a theory on why his wounds healed so fast." Said Hanji. "The knife wound from Jean is still there, while Levi's bullet didn't leave a trace. I think it's your Titan mode that gives you the power to heal so quickly. But when in normal state like now, nothing changes. I'd say that's the only plausible explanation."

"So it's all due to the Titan mode?" Asked Armin. "That's scary."

"Now on to the real questioning. Brat. Tell us everything you remember about your years in the lab, your old man or Dok."

"Honeslty, not much. Like I told Petra, I practically never left the lab. I have a lot of blanks. Even Dok and Woerman wouldn't come down there much. The ones I saw the most were the scientists and, well … you."

Mikasa placed a hand on her brother's. "Come on Eren, try. Anything, even if you think it's trivial."

The boy seemed to be lost in thoughts for a while. "You already know about the Titans, right? All I know is that the Heaven Project was just a prototype. Well, I did hear the scientists talk about dad's cloning project. But they thought it was impossible so I didn't pay much attention to that. I wasn't interested in anything much more than … never waking up whenever I blacked out."

"Eren..." Muttered his best friend.

"That's tragic and all but it's not helping us." Said Levi.

"Levi! Cut the boy some slack! He needs time." Said Erwin.

"Time to what? Rest up? Because from where I'm standing it looks more like you're falling to pieces. Was what you told me earlier just half-assed words?"

"No, of course not." Replied the boy looking down.

"Then think. Right now you're our only lead, brat. If you can't remember anything, then we're stuck."

Eren frowned. I think he was trying to force himself to remember things. But in his head was probably a giant mess. He needed a little guidance. I came closer. "Remember when I found you, you told me that you didn't know where we were. But you mentioned a garage."

"The guards always said 'going back up to the garage'. So I assumed that was the way out."

Erwin grabbed his chin. "Could it be... _the_ Garage?"

"No way." Added Hanji. "Right under our noses."

The Commander turned to us. "The Garage is the underground storage room for royal and army vehicles depending on the level. So you were under there the whole time?"

"That would explain why I found you near the Castle's sewers." Said Levi to me. "We'll have to check it out before we do anything. Nice going kid." He told me. I looked away and turned away to prevent the blush from taking over my face. What was it with the sudden compliment? He must have been that desperate. Krista hit me with her elbow.

"That means Amanda, Alec and Myra are down there!" She said, before turning to Erwin. "If you need someone to check it out without arousing suspicion, I'm your girl."

Erwin smiled and nodded at the kind hearted little princess.

"Alpha..." Suddenly muttered Eren.

"Did you said something brat?"

"It's vague, but... I heard them mention the Alpha more than once. It was a while ago though. The scientists said stuff about completing the second Alpha, getting rid of a first one..."

"They're talking about you Levi." Said Hanji. "In your files that I recovered from the computers of the first lab... We're either labeled Complete or Fallen. But you were marked Complete AND Alpha."

"Logically the second Alpha is Lucifer." Finished Marco. "Now we have to figure out what so important about the Alpha. Captain, by any chance, have Dok and Woerman asked you to join them?"

"WHAT?" Exclaimed everyone.

"That's right."

"Then you obviously have something important that they want. Otherwise there would be no point in cloning you. There has to be something in your genetics that they want. Were you submitted to experiment that no one else here went through?"

"There was the Pit." Said Hanji. "It's an experiment where the scientists would lock up a Complete with a bunch of Fallen in a room for an entire weak. When they started starving, from lack of blood, not food, they usually attacked each other. The only Complete that survived was Levi."

"And now they made a copy and they want you dead. That has to be it." Said Marco. "I need to brainstorm on this." He added taking notes on his faithful notebook.

Levi turned to Eren. "Anything else?"

"I'm sorry. That's it."

Marco close his notebook and looked at Levi again. "Captain, Hanji. Can I steal some of your time?"

Levi nodded. "The ones that aren't wounded, gather up some food for the ones that are. Freckles, Horse-face, you go the armory and check if the weapons we brought back from HQ are still useful."

"Don't call me that." Growled the two teens at the same time, before exiting.

Erwin approached Krista. "Krista come with me. I'd like some kind of impression on the Castle's underground's blueprints."

"Yes, Commander." She turned to me. "You should go get some more rest Petra. The bags under your eyes are hideous." She said a little loud so that everyone could hear. She winked before following the Commander out.

I exited the room myself, and turned around just in time to see Levi's eyes following me. It sent chills down my spine. 'I swear this guy's radar is constantly on alert.' Instead of heading towards the small stone house that was our room, I made sure no one was around to go the the one where I knew Hanji had installed all the computers and research tech. I closed the door behind me and didn't dare turn on the light. I sat in front of a computer and turned it on. I looked up missing people reports of last thirteen years ago. I found almost all of the Scout's profiles. Except Eren and Mikasa's. I took a USB key from the desk and put all the files in them. Then I erased the history and turned off the computer. I was about to stand and look for the things I needed for my … betrayal plan, when I heard someone sniffle. It was coming from outside. I slowly stepped out. There was no one around, so I looked up. It was coming from the top of the stone house. I stepped on the edge of the window and took a peek at the flat roof. It was Sasha. The angel was staring at a electronic tablet. Tears were flowing down her face. Intrigued, I climbed onto the roof.

"Sasha? Is everything okay?"

She looked up and quickly wiped the tears. "Petra? You startled me."

"I did?" I asked raising an eyebrow. "You should have smelled me as soon as I got here. What's wrong? What are you looking at?"

"I wasn't stealing the tablet, I promise."

"Come on, you know that's not what I'm talking about."

She looked down and hesitated before handing me the device. There was a loaded video on it, titled Never-ending search of a loved one. I clicked on play. The video was an interview with a couple and four kids around them.

" _Mr and Mrs Blouse, thank you for agreeing to an interview. Today marks the anniversary of a tragic and important day for you."_

" _Yes."_ Replied the man. _"Today, exactly thirteen years ago, our daughter went missing."_

" _I heard you've submitted another demand to the bureau of missing people. Are you so sure that your daughter is alive?"_

'Asshole' I thought.

" _There were no signs of kidnapping or murder but are you sure it's still wise to hope for her return?"_

" _As long as there has been no confirmation of her death, we have to keep hoping in case she returns. She's our daughter. As parents, we are not aloud to give up on her."_ Replied the woman this time. She was on the brink of tears. She turned to face the camera. _"Sasha, baby. If you're out here somewhere, please come back home. Everyone misses you."_

The seventeen or eighteen year old standing next to the father spoke, with tears filling her eyes. _"We miss you big sis. Please come home."_

The camera turned back to the interviewer. _"Real hope, or illusion? One must wonder..."_

I paused it and turned to Sasha, my face probably showing my shock. "That's your family. And this was posted yesterday."

"Most of our families are alive. It's just … we can't see them, because they'd be in danger." She wiped her eyes again. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't rub it in. My folks are safe at least I know that. They live outside the city, in a farm. It's funny. You never realize how precious something is before you loose it. When you're a kid you take everything for granted."

"But that's not your fault. You couldn't have predicted that something like that would happen..."

She placed a hand on my shoulder. "I promise we're gonna save your family, Petra. I promise." She assured as knew tears fell out of her eyes, but a determined look still remained.

I hugged her, knowing she needed it and she cried on my shoulder for a while. And again, I was reminded that they were just kids. Ten years in a tank and undergoing inhuman experiments, and then three being trained as soldiers don't let you grow up. They were still the same. Thinking of Amanda, Tim, Alec and Myra, I could understand that pain.

'And I'm going to save all of you.' I thought as loud as my mind aloud it. 'I swear Sasha.'

* * *

 **Hope you guys liked it! We're finally getting closer to the objectif of our madmen. What is the Alpha status? And what are Petra and her friends plotting? Will they really betray the Scouts? Keep reading to find out! ;)**

 **PLEASE REVIEW!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Exams, writer's block, internship, work... This is the list of all my dumb excuses for my tardiness. I'm really sorry guys, I know it's been over a month. In any case I hope you're enjoying the beginning of summer! (Or winter). I hope you will like this chapter. Enjoy!**

 **IMPORTANT MESSAGE AT THE END! PAY ATTENTION!**

* * *

 **Old slave town, Scout HQ**

I received a powerful kick in the gut and was sent flying back before crashing on the training mattress. I grunted in pain. Any stronger and that kick would've cracked my ribs for sure. I stayed on the ground a bit to catch my breath before trying to stand up again. I was sweating like a race horse and the salty liquid was streaming down my face and arms. I looked up at my opponent.

"Sorry, Petra. That kick was a little over the top. Are you okay?"

"Again." I ordered, as I slowly got back to my feet.

"Are you sure you want to keep going?" Asked Eld. "You're exhausted."

I let out a couple of heavy breaths, before wiping the sweat off my face and getting back to a fighting stance. Although my entire body was shaking due to pure heavy muscle tiredness. But I didn't want to stop. I had to keep going. I had to become stronger and fast. My family was waiting for me. And if I wanted to save them, I'd have to put in a maximum effort. And I was that willing to do this much.

"I said again!" I snapped almost aggressively to the blond Lieutenant. He looked back at me with a why-is-she-doing-this-to-herself face, as I waited impatiently for him to get back to a stance. But then, I felt a hand grab my shoulder. It was a strong grip that made me tense up a little. I turned my head to see the Captain standing behind me. But before I could even say anything, the short angel kicked me behind the ankles, making me fall flat on my back and sending disturbing vibrations throughout my entire body and making me expulse the air out of my lungs a little too quickly.

"Ahow!" I let out. "What was that for?"

"Stop doing that kid. It doesn't take a few days to become stronger. It takes years."

"Yeah, well I don't have years." I growled back pushing myself up with my elbows. "I have a family to rescue. I can't sit my ass in bed all day doing nothing."

I tried standing up but Levi pressed his foot on my stomach, pushing me right back down. "What?!" I said, exasperated. The angel Captain didn't answer right away and told the Scouts that were here to leave with a sigh of the head. Then he turned back to me.

"There's a difference between working out and working yourself to death. You're not a machine kiddo. You don't work with a plug. At least not the last time I checked."

"But if I don't get stronger you won't let me do anything." I complained giving him a pouting face. Why was he always reminding me of how weak I was? I knew that already! Why could he see through everything like that? Nothing annoyed me more. I couldn't be weak if I was going to save Amanda, Alec and Myra.

"So you want in the field?"

"Yes. I'm not going to keep an eye on you from behind a computer, that much I can tell you. I have to be there. I have to do something." 'Yeah, I have to make sure you don't kill the wrong people. And save you.' I thought.

"You're talking as if you think we're gonna raid the bastards or something."

"Logically speaking it would be best to hit them when they're not sure about our movements anymore. It's also the best moment to rescue the hostages."

"Did Sherlock come up with that?" He asked, again seeing right through me.

"Who else?"

"Speaking of you weirdo friend, he's been asking a lot of questions recently. To Erwin and four-eyes especially."

'Crap, was he on to us already? I don't know why that should surprise me though.' I raised an eyebrow and did my best to make it look like a natural reaction. "Why is that weird? He's Marco."

The steel grey eyes were looking deep into mine like they wanted to make hole through my head by just staring. I rested my case about him having an alarming thought radar. I sighed and looked to the side making a sad face. But I didn't have to pretend to be disappointed.

"You still don't trust me at all either, do you?" I muttered, but I knew he could hear me. On one hand I knew it was very normal for him to be suspicious of us since we really were planning something. On the other, it was painful. It didn't revolve around the Scouts specifically... just around this guy. His opinion was... so much more important than anyone else's in the angels. He suddenly moved and knelt down on one knee after removing his foot.

"Working yourself to the bone like that won't help you, or your family kid. So give it up and do what you're told. No more than three hours of combat training every day. With an hour break in between each hour and half. Got it?"

I sighed again. "Yes, sir."

"Good. And piece of advice. Learn shooting and self defense before anything else."

"But I'm..."

"... not comfortable enough to use a gun, I know. Get horse face and Nanaba to help you get over that. That's what's going to keep you alive if I decide you can tag along. That's all."

He had a point. It was less tiring physically to learn how to aim straight then try to learn martial arts in a few days. I looked up at his face. He was so different from Lucifer. Every time I looked at his face, I wondered how stupid I could've been to mistake him for the clone. And that reminded me of my stupidness being responsible for the death of nineteen people. Nineteen kids who didn't even get a chance to know what real life was like. Levi grabbed my chin with his hand and made me look at him in the eyes again. Dark shadows were dancing around his eyes, which made him look handsome and terrifying at the same time.

"Stop thinking about him while looking at my face, Petra." He almost snapped frustrated.

"S-sorry." I quickly replied, my face turning a little red with shame. "It's not on purpose."

I was surprised. I didn't think he was the kind to voice out something like that. It must have been affecting him even more than I thought. His eyes softened and he removed his hand. "I know, kid. I know."

It was his turn to stare and mine to have my mind go blank while wondering what the hell he was thinking. His eyes were scanning me from head to toes and I suddenly felt like I was naked in front of him. No metaphor could make it clearer. And of course that made the blood rush to my face even more. It felt way too long.

"Hum... Levi?" I asked wondering if he was lost in thought. But he brought his hand up and flicked me on the nose a little too strongly. I brought both hands to cover it, as it was painfully aching.

"What the hell?!" I protested. "Why did you do that?"

"I felt like it. Looking at your stubborn face is annoying me."

"Jerk-face." I muttered vexed, but somehow a little bit pleased with him expressing something other than pure businesslike seriousness.

He didn't bother replying and grabbed my wrist and pulled me up to my feet. "Take a shower, eat something and go get some rest. I want you in good shape in two hours."

"You're specific. Are we going somewhere?" I asked as I picked up my jacket.

"We have a package to pick up. You're coming with."

"The weapon delivery." I said understanding. "Why do you need me?"

"It was a rush order and when that happens the old bastard asks me for favors. This time, he asked for you."

I frowned suspiciously. "You do remember I stabbed him in the eye and the foot, right?"

"Exactly, he wants to get even. He'll try to do the same to you at some point."

"I'm surprise you think it's wise to actually take me."

"As if I'd let him get close to you. I don't trust him. I've never directly let anyone deal with him by themselves. Don't worry, kiddo."

"Who is this guy? He looks much older than all the other angels..."

"Kenny's the only adult over thirty who ever survived the procedure. Got to hand it to the old bastard, he's got amazing personal resources."

"Did you know him before the Heaven project?"

"Not really. We were just in the same kind of business."

"You were a smuggler?" I asked surprised.

"Why the face?"

"Well, it's just... I can't imagine someone like you, giving everything you have to help every other angel here give a meaning to their messed up lives, smuggling things like weapon. You may look and act like a criminal, but I just can't picture it. Not now that I've spent so much time with you."

'Not now that I've discovered that kindness buried in the darkness.'

"Tch. Believe what you want. I was thief kid, and I can tell you I didn't start killing when I was turned into this beast. I'm not an angel, no pun intended. Now go. I still have to train the Jaeger brat and I want you to get a least an hour of sleep."

I started heading back towards the showers, thinking : 'Sometimes, it feels like you could have fooled me, Captain.' I hit myself in the face for thinking that. I had to focus. Actually, I had a very clear reason for training this hard. I knew that Levi would order me to rest afterwards. And when he thought I was asleep, I could do pretty much anything I wanted in my room. Which was perfect for planing our betrayal. I took a quick shower before heading back to and entering our small stone house. The blinds were already closed. Krista and Marco sitting on the floor talking. They looked up when they saw me.

"Hey Petra. How was training?"

"Painful." I replied before sitting down with them. "Where are the others?"

"Jean's with Nanaba going over the artillery again. It's a good thing her eyes were only a temporary thing. And I think Ymir is with Thomas, practicing."

"Okay. Have you guys made any progress?" I asked.

Marco took out his trusty notebook and opened it. "You've already recovered the files of every Scout that's been reported missing."

"Yeah. The only ones missing were Mikasa and Eren."

"Not surprising considering they were Dr Jaeger's kids. Then we have all the external data we need. Now all we need are images of our Scouts today and in action. I suppose we'll have to wait for the big mission that the Commander and the Captain have surely planned. The best thing would be to have live footage for the big reveal."

"Then we need cameras." Said Krista.

"Exactly, but if we want to avoid being suspected by our unusually clever Captain, you'll need them to be hidden in your clothes."

"You'll? What about you?" Asked the short blondie.

"I'm not a fighter, I won't be in the field. But that also means that I'll have to be the one to set up everything. You'll have to show me again Petra."

"Alright. As for the cameras, we still need to brainstorm."

"What about the SpyBug?" Asked the pseudo detective. "It's the best thing I can think of."

"I thought of that too. Except all my notes and stuff are at home. They don't have the proper tools here for me to make one, let alone four. I'll need a good excuse to go back home and pick it up. No to mention, Lucifer might still be keeping an eye on the place."

"I can't think of anything more efficient than that." Said Marco. "If you manage to make three, it'll make our job much easier. You guys could hide them in your jackets and let them do the work while focusing on the job at hand. I'll just have to stand ready for when I get the signal."

"Okay, so now I need an idea to go back home and get something without Levi's eyes on me. … Honestly that's asking for the impossible."

Marco smiled. "Not if he thinks you might be able to bring more information about why Tim and the army are involved."

"Marco you're a genius."

The door opened and Jean and Ymir stepped in. "Or not. Hate to break it to you Petra, but after we brought you back when you decided to go find Amanda, he already went back with a bunch of Scouts and they searched the house. I doubt the Captain would think he'd have missed something that you would see."

"Yeah, but it's her house." Said Ymir. "There's gotta be something you know about the place you know about that he doesn't."

"He might not have found my tablet."

"Tablet?"

"Yeah, the one I use to put in all my ideas for new tech designs and programming." I explained. "I hide it in one of the frames in my room."

"Why in a frame? Sounds overthought..." Commented the brunette raising an eyebrow.

I chuckled sadly. "It's the only place I knew Myra wouldn't look. She goes through my stuff all the time when I'm not home."

My friends looked at each other, clearly unsure of what they should be saying. I mentally slapped myself. This was not the moment to break down again. It was the moment to focus on how to make everything better. Nothing was going back.

"Next time, just try locking your door." Suggested Ymir, rubbing the back of her head.

Krista let out a laugh. "If she does that, Amanda will be the one to break down the door."

"Yeah, I wouldn't even try it." Commented Jean. "Your foster mom's scary as hell."

I smiled. "Then again, you've never seen her angry for real."

Jean coughed, probably trying to avoid imagining that. "Anyways, what's that about you going with the Captain on the recovery job?"

"Oh, yeah. The guy I stabbed in the eye wants me to come. Probably to get even. But there's no need to worry, we won't be alone. Are any of you coming along?"

They all shook their heads. I looked at my watch. "I'm gonna eat something and then sleep a little. If I don't catch a wink, he'll find out and kill me."

"I have to go." Said Krista. "The Commander wants me to check something out at the castle. Hopefully this time, without running into those soldiers."

"I have to go too." Said Marco standing up. "Hanji wants to show me something about the S-Vs."

"The what now?" Asked the freckled girl.

"Spider Viruses. You know, the crap that gets in your system when Positives bite you? They attack the nervous system via blood vessels and bodily fluids ..."

Her face twisted in disgust and she stuck her tongue out. "Gross."

"Keep the details to yourself, Marco." Added Jean.

"Guys." I called out, getting all of their attention. "This plan... it has to work. No matter what. It's the only way to end everything. For everyone."

In return for these words, I got determined stares from my best friends.

* * *

 **Rendezvous point with smugglers, 4:22am**

The group was composed of the Captain, Mikasa, Connie, Sasha, Oluo, Thomas, Hanna, Samuel, Rico, Armin and of course me. All of us had been waiting there for a while. Levi was leaning against the wall and staring at the metallic door of the warehouse. He looked at his watch again.

"Something's wrong. He's never late when it comes up to business."

"Do we leave then, Captain?" Asked Rico.

"Hold on." Said Oluo. "I hear something. They're here."

A few minutes after he said that, the metal door was opened and three people stepped into the ware house. None of them were the head smuggler. The two guys seemed familiar, but not the girl. The three of them had one thing in common though. They had the same expression in their eyes. The sort that sent shivers down my spine. That sensation was also familiar. It was full of menace. Levi frowned and stepped in front of our group, while everyone else stood up. I wasn't the only one feeling uncomfortable. There were no words of welcome or any sort of salutations.

"Where's the old man?" Asked the angel Captain, cutting to the chase right away.

"He's not coming." Replied the blonde girl flatly.

Levi took out his gun and pointed it at her without a moment of hesitation. "Kenny never deals with anyone without meeting them face to face. Don't even try saying he sent you. What comes out of your mouth next better be a straight answer. If not it'll be the last thing you ever say." He threatened.

"He's dead." Said the girl as flatly as before.

"How?"

"Shot through the head."

My first thought on the matter was that it was not that surprising when you're in the gun smuggling business. The second was that at least now I didn't have to worry about loosing an eye due to a grudge. However, Levi didn't seem to be sharing my thoughts. He was frowning even more than before and didn't lower his gun. "Who pulled the trigger?"

"I did." Said the girl.

Okay, either this girl was a terrible liar and didn't think she could even try it, or she was naturally this blunt, and that was probably painful to live with. On top of that she was a killer, and that was not reassuring me. The angel Captain didn't even flinch.

"Why?"

"That guy was treating us like we were his slaves." Explained the tall guy. "And besides... we've decided what we wanted to do."

"Off him and take his business? Hell of a plan." Commented Levi. "I know you two, but I've never seen you before." He said pointing at the girl.

"Annie was usually in charge of finding new clients." Explained the blond. "Bertolt and I were used for deliveries. My name is Reiner."

'So that's where I saw them. They were with Kenny when Levi gave me my test.' Those three were certainly angels too, since Kenny was one. The blond that looked like a gorilla continued.

"We're not here for that. We don't care about the smuggling. We brought you the guns and ammo, you can even keep the money. We don't care."

"I'm getting tired of this beating around the bush. What the hell do you want?"

"We want to join you." Said the one named Bertolt.

All the Scouts made surprised faces and looked at each other. Levi lowered his gun and placed it back in it's holster. "Do you even know who the hell we are?"

"You're angels, just like us." Said the blonde girl. She then opened her mouth and showed her fangs to prove a point. The two men took off their gloves and showed their claws. "We want in on the hunt for the guys who did this to us." Said the blonde.

"How do you even know about that?" Asked Oluo, imitating the Captain's interrogation glare. "We don't let anything leak out."

"Kenny told us. You guys were in the same lab, right?"

"Give me a good reason to bring you on board." Said Levi.

"What do you mean 'give me a good reason'?" Said Reiner looking a bit desperate. "We went through the same bullshit you did for the past years. Isn't it natural that we'd want revenge on those bastards."

Levi raised an eyebrow. "I don't buy that as your only reason. Why did you stay with the old bastard so long if you thought we were up to that the whole time?"

"Because we weren't sure at first... We thought about going back to our home but... We're freaks now. No one would understand."

The tall brunet stepped forward. "Look, you don't have to trust us or anything. Just let us help you in any way we can."

"And if I refuse?" Asked the angel Captain, not the least bit moved by their explanation.

"Then we'll find our own way to get rid of these bastards. And no offense, but that would make it harder for you. Besides, we know exactly where they are."

All the Scouts in the room stared at the three with very attentive eyes. Their own desires for revenge were showing. They had been waiting thirteen years for this. No one wanted that information to slip through. I on the other end, saw the danger of that. Offer the hungry lion fresh meat technic. And again the only one who didn't budge was Levi.

"Alright, tell me then."

"You have to promise to take us with you." Immediately said Bertolt, with a neutral stare but focused on the Captain. I didn't like this at all. It was sounding more and more like blackmail. But then again these guys were desperate. If they had been through the same torture as the Scouts, then it shouldn't be surprising that they would be desperate. Having no one else to support them but a gun smuggler who used them for his dirty business. They probably did feed on humans, but they didn't seem to be strays. I shook my head. I couldn't start overthinking this and slowly reforming my opinion on them. They're story was too confusing. Levi didn't.

"Tell me your numbers." Ordered the Captain.

"What?"

"In the lab, our number plates were repeated to us over and over. Don't tell me you forgot yours."

They looked at each other before turning back to Levi. "S-F508." Said Annie.

"S-M659." Said Bertolt.

"S-M660." Said Reiner.

"Lab A only went up to subjects M437 and F223. Kenny was M389. Care to explain where you came from?"

"If you recovered the files, you should know there were four labs..." Explained Reiner.

I was with him there. It was way too suspicious. Suddenly three unregistered angel (I knew because I took a look at the files Hanji recovered from their labs) showed up and want in on our 'nightmare'? I didn't buy it. It made no sense. Even if Kenny knew about the Scouts, that didn't mean he knew what we were up to for real. Levi would have never told him about being an unregistered force for the government. That's when I spotted something on the girl named Annie. She was wearing a strange necklace. A chain with a tiny piece of metal that looked unexpectedly familiar. Just the view of it made my heartbeat accelerate. If this was what I thought it was, then these guys were not friends. While Levi continued to interrogate them and probably clear out his own suspicions, I discreetly walked over to Mikasa.

"Hey." I whispered to keep anyone else from hearing. "Did Eren talk about the others like him?"

"Others like him? You mean the Titans?"

Okay, it seemed he didn't. I then whispered something to her quickly, while making sure none of the three newcomers looked at us.

"Alright." She replied.

I walked over to the wall where the giant light switch that was. I then looked at everyone. "Excuse me!" I called out, getting everyone's attention. "Could all of you please look at me for a minute?" They looked confused but all turned to me. I pressed the button and the whole warehouse turned dark. A bunch of eyes were glowing in the dark, staring at me. Including the eyes of the three newcomers. Their eyes were no different than those of the Scouts. I turned the lights back on.

"Hum, was there a purpose to this?" Asked the blond man, curiously.

Before I could answer, Mikasa walked over to me and handed me the necklace the girl was wearing. Annie made a surprised face when she realized it was gone. The Asian had swiftly taken it from her while I was catching their attention. I pushed the cover open to make sure this was really what I thought it was... and the second I confirmed it, I dropped it to the ground and crushed it with my foot. I caught Annie clenching her teeth.

"Care to explain where you got that?" I asked them picking up the crushed piece of metal.

"It's just a necklace." Said Bertolt, clearly not convincing.

"Allow me to enlighten you. That, is a SpyBug. The smallest piece of spy technology in the world. It can record sound and images, translate over sixty languages, decipher extremely complicated codes as well as easily locate the position of it's carrier and map whatever area they are circulating in."

"I've never heard of something like that." Said Samuel. "And I know a lot about military gear..."

"That's normal. This thing isn't even on the official market now. It was designed about five months ago."

"And how do you know that, ginger?" Asked Oluo. "Hang out with smugglers much?"

"I designed it, you moron." I said keeping my eyes on the three of them. "I know I didn't give it to you, so only one person could have. Timothy Kiler. One more thing. You suck at playing dumb."

Tim was the first person I'd showed my design to and he had helped me get the necessary material to build the first prototype. Then I gave it to him so that he could present it to his colleagues. It never came up again with everything that's been going on since then. One thing for sure now. These guys were Dok and Woermann's goons. Levi threw them an extremely threatening death glare and we could almost taste the pressure in the air.

"You don't say. Care to reformulate your explanation?"

Their eyes suddenly turned angry and without any warning, Annie ended up right in front of me, claws out. Almost faster than the eye could follow. I reached for my gun but too late. The girl sliced the air with her hand, hitting me in the arm, making my blood stain the floor. The blow was so strong that I even fell on the ground, holding my arm butchered arm. When a shot was fired, she rose her arm to protect her face. Her sweatshirt's sleeve was ripped by the bullet but the bullet fell on the ground, crushed halfway. Everyone froze. She looked at her arm and growled at the sight of the hole. She grabbed it and ripped off the sleeve entirely. Her arm was covered with some sort of crystal.

'A crystal solid enough to stop a speeding bullet? That's impossible!' I thought.

No one had the time to voice out anything, the tall one tossed hand grenade in the air towards the group of Scouts. Levi reacted quickly enough and shot it in the air. The blast made the Angels back off and cover their eyes. I had to as well. When explosion passed, the three of them were gone. Levi and a couple of Scouts ran outside, but didn't find anything. Except for the truck filled with the cases of guns and ammo. Mikasa helped me up.

"Are you alright?"

"No..." I replied, before grunting in pain. "Damn it. Feels like she ripped my flesh off with it. I took off my jacket. I indeed had four distinct marks of a deep scratch. The Asian girl took disinfectant and a medical band out of her jacket.

"We'll have to get Lieutenant Hanji to look at it quickly. I can't stop the bleeding. You'll probably need stitches."

"Yeah no shit." I said before grunting again. I looked around. "Where's the SpyBug?"

Oluo picked it up and approached. "Tch. You're an idiot, kid."

"Don't you dare call me that!" I snapped. That was Levi exclusive, and only because he could beat me to a pulp. (Also because I got used to it.) "And why am I an idiot?"

"If this thing is as performant as you say it is, why did you crush it? We could have used it! Do you ever use your head? Or is that too much you ask?"

"Why you copycat, foul-mouthed asshole! It was activated! Meaning Lucifer, Dok and Woermann were watching us the whole time!"

I froze when the logic buckle clipped in my mind. My eyes widened in horror and I grabbed my head in my hands. "No, no, no, no, NO!" I cursed myself with all the bad words I knew in every language I knew. How the hell could I have been so stupid?

"What's wrong kid?" Asked the Captain's voice.

"I told them I invented it. Oh my god." I pressed my hand against my forehead.

"Explain."

"They obviously got the bug from Tim, that's for sure. He's the only one who had it. If they hadn't used it, we probably would've taken them with us to the Sanctuary."

"And your old man warned us by giving it to them, knowing you'd recognize it instantly." Completed the Angel Captain, understanding.

"These guys are probably going to tell them. Shit!" Said Connie.

"Does it really matter?" Continued the copycat Lieutenant. "They need him, they won't do anything to him."

I clenched my teeth stood up and punched him in the face as hard as I could. I didn't give him time to react and grabbed him by the collar. "They have Amanda and the kids too! How easy do you think would it be for them to take it out on Alec or Myra? They have three hostages. Torturing or even killing them will be as easy as breathing for that son of a bitch, you dumbass!"

He seemed to sweat drop and look ashamed at the same time. "S-sorry..." He let out.

But I wasn't listening to him already. My head started spinning like crazy, so much I fell down on one knee. I grabbed my arm, squeezing it as it was torturing me. I felt the medical band being stained completely with my blood, practically soaked by it.

"Crap, the bleeding's not stopping at all!" Cursed Rico, placing another band over it.

"Connie, Sasha, Rico! The three of you take Petra back to Hanji, now." Ordered Levi. "The rest of you, take the merchandise back to the Sanctuary. Be damn careful of not being followed. Go!"

* * *

 **Unknown location**

"We're sorry, sir. They saw through us right away. I think even before the girl spotted the device."

"She said she built it?"

"Yes. And that only her father had access to it."

The clone smiled as if nothing was wrong. "It's fine. Annie got the part of the job I wanted done, so it isn't a complete failure."

"Sir, I have a question." Asked the blonde.

"What is it, Annie?"

"That girl... why is she important? I could have killed her in one easy hit to the throat. Why does she have to stay alive? She's not even part of all of this."

"On the contrary." Replied the clone smiling. "This girl is the very reason I'm going to be able to control my other half."

Annie looked at the ground, showing some sort of disappointment, which was not usual for the female titan. He two companions didn't miss it.

"You can leave now." Ordered Lucifer. "I'll call you when I figure out our next move. And Bertolt? Bring me Timothy Kiler."

The three Titans exited the room and Lucifer looked at the tiny phial containing the red liquid. He opened it slightly and inhaled. The scent of the blood made him smile proudly again. Yes, this was indeed going to be interesting. The door opened and Timothy Kiler entered. He looked as tired and stressed as ever. His face was that of a man ten years older than him.

"You wanted to see me ?" Asked the man.

"The device you gave to Annie... you didn't tell me it was a creation of your lovely daughter, Mr Kiler."

The Angel could tell his breathing had almost stopped and his heart speeding up. "Of course it's only natural that you'd want to help her. She is your familty, isn't she? But in the meantime, you're slowing down my progress. And that irritates me." Said the Angel with a relaxed voice.

"..."

"It's hard isn't it? To keep both sides of your family safe. If I told Dok and Woermann, I'm fairly certain you'd loose one of your kids or your wife. And knowing them, the death wouldn't be painless. Probably very slow and with a lot of screams..." The Alpha let his fangs slowly stretch out and licked them.

"Please, I'm begging you. If you have to punish someone then it should be me."

"I wasn't finished. I'll keep that little betrayal between us... but you have to do something for me in return."

The man looked confused. "You aren't thinking of …"

"You might even thank me for this someday, Mr Kiler. I'm going to give you a chance to reunite your family."

"What about those three? Will they keep quiet?"

"These three have gone through everything Dok and Woermann put them through like every Titan. But I'm the one who disciplined them. They'll listen to me."

* * *

 **Hey guys! Hope you liked it! Next chapter, we will begin the climax so hang on to something! Things are gonna be shaky!**

 **IMPORTANT MESSAGE : Just like last year, starting July 1st, I'll be camping for about a month and won't have my computer with me, so I won't be able to write anything. (I can't believe I've been writing this story for over a year now!) I might be able to type another chapter before that, but I can't promise anything. But again, I swear I'm not giving it up! I hope you all enjoy your summer and wish you a very good vacation! See you all in August!**


	24. Chapter 24

**Guess who's back? Back again? Hey guys! I finally got my computer back and I'm ready to write like a freakin' word machine! I hope you enjoy this chapter where I decided to add one more little twist for the thrill. Hope you'll like it!**

 **ENJOY!**

* * *

 **External POV**

Levi kicked open the door of the pseudo infirmary where Hanji was going over some papers. "Four-eyes! Where is she?"

"Geez Levi, ever heard of knocking? Relax, I stopped the bleeding and stitched her up. I did give her some extra-bandages and gear so she can still train."

"Did you make a blood analysis?" Asked the short Captain still not convinced.

"Yeah, it's in progress right now. But she seems fine. She was dizzy when she arrived but after I stopped the bleeding she was okay. I don't think there's anything to worry about. She's had a good night sleep. You don't seem convinced though. What happened?"

"Those titans plan was risky. Getting us to take them here saying they wanted revenge after so long... they should have known we'd never have agreed to take them."

"But you would have, wouldn't you shorty?" Said the medic with a know-you-too-well face. "Anyways, I told her to rest for a while, she should be in her room. But I doubt she'll sleep more than she has to. She's too worried. And to tell you the truth so am I. Dok and Woermann won't hesitate to terminate one of their hostages. I don't know what to say to her... You should try talking to her."

"What makes you think I'm in any better position to talk to her than you?"

"Because Levi, you have a special bond with her. At least, she has a special bond with you."

"What the hell are you blabbering about?"

"When she looks at you and talks to you... it's so different from everyone else. For instance she calls you Levi more than she calls you Captain."

"And based on that, you think it's my job to be her shrink?"

"You know how she gets when she's worried. How much do you want to bet that she's already out of bed and training with the others?"

Levi frowned while looking at the medic. "Which she is most probably doing right now..."

The angel Captain sighed. "Where is Erwin?"

"Going over the map with Krista. They'll be done soon. We'll have to start revealing the plan to the kids soon. Probably tomorrow even. Are you sure this is our best option Levi? It sounds too risky. We won't get another chance like that. It's all or nothing if we go with that. It's not like you to be so impulsive and make rash decisions on something so big."

"What's your point?"

Levi had rarely seen Hanji truly serious. And this was one of those times. No smile, looking straight in his eyes, wanting a clear answer. Just like that day he'd asked for her help in hunting down the strays and their captors. "I'm asking if that's what you really want to do?"

Levi looked at the pile of paper on her desk before answering. "Decisions. I make them based on the situation, the people in it and the time. I've been doing that for the past three years with untrained brats. Now that Petra and the weirdo crew has arrived we progressed more in a couple of weeks than we did in those three years. We've also taken considerable damage."

"So this is a change of method? It's still reckless."

"No. The kid's made me realize something. We've never had as much info on them as we have now. And we can't allow them to gain anymore ground. We're in deep enough shit as it is. Now's our best chance to hit them. Besides, the brats aren't stupid. They know we've gained ground with Petra and the others. Their bloodlust for revenge is top now. They'll be at the top of their game."

The angel Captain clenched his teeth and Hanji didn't miss it. Talking like he was manipulating them didn't go well at all with Levi. He was a kind soul and gentle heart, very few saw that. Petra might have been the first to have figured it out on her own. The head of the medical branch smiled at the thought. There might be a place for Levi in this world after all, unlike what he thought. As well as someone special for him. But she kept that to herself. She could tease Levi on any subject but not that one. It was too important.

"I see. Well, nothing too different from usual. You and Erwin plan, we follow. I guess I'm a little worried about what comes after but, what's life without risks? No need to worry Levi. I'll follow you in whatever crazy plan you have cooking up there."

"Idiot. As if I worried about that."

Hanji smiled again. For Levi to admit like that that he trusted her so bluntly, he must be tensed about the future. "Thanks Captain." She said.

The door swung open again. Armin looked completely panicked. "Captain! Come quickly! It's Petra!"

* * *

 **Petra's POV**

Dodge. Kick. Block. Dodge. Block. Block. Kick. Kick. Block. Dodge. Once more, I was training on the blue mattress with Thomas. I'd convinced the angel to help me. In fact, almost all the Scouts were here. Mikasa was training Eren who'd insisted he was fine and could take it. But from where I was standing, he was getting his butt kicked easily. My arm was killing me, but the gear Hanji had given me protected my wounds well. That and of course, the blond angel was going way too easy on me.

"Thomas, if you're not gonna fight for real then go away." I growl. "I'll train with someone serious."

"Petra be reasonable. You nearly got your arm ripped to shreds yesterday. We can't go all out on you."

"Then this training is useless. I need to get stronger and fast. If you won't help me I'll find someone else." I said stubbornly.

"I'm not helping you." He said crossing his arm and giving me a reproachful look. "You're beat up enough. You should be resting."

"You want all out?" Said a feminine voice. "Fine, I'll help."

Hanna stepped on the mattress after having removed her shoes, jacket and weapons. I could tell she was angry. She'd been angry ever since the attack on HQ. She'd been ignoring me for the most part. And I don't blame her for it. I was responsible for the deaths of all those nineteen Scouts. But she was the only one who seemed to remember. If she could release some of her anger on me, then fine. I'd take advantage of it as much as I could. The other ginger faced me and got to a fighting stance. I did too. Her eyes were focused but threw lightning at me. She charged at full speed and threw a fast punch at me. I barely dodged it when I receive a foot in the stomach that could have shattered my ribs. I almost lost balance but managed to stay on my feet. It gave me half a second to see her next move coming. I blocked her next punch with my arm and managed to hit her in the stomach, not as strong as she could hit me though. It made her take a step back though and I took the opportunity to throw her my knee in the guts again. She grunted but still didn't fall, in fact she didn't even back down this time. It was like she was made of brick. She slashed through the air with her hand and I realized too late that she had her claws out. I jumped back but not fast enough. I felt a nasty scratch mark on my cheek and warm, thick liquid dripping down it. I was a little shocked and stared at her. That nasty glare never left her face.

"Hanna!" Shouted Connie. "Be careful! She's already wounded!"

"She asked for it. She shouldn't complain." Said the angry ginger. "Actually, she's got nothing to complain about!"

She threw herself at me again, even angrier than before. I didn't have time to hit, so I just dodged and block the attacks I could. Which I somehow manage to until she sent another foot flying towards my face... and I had the bad reflex of using my wounded arm to block it. I screamed in pain, as I felt my stitches pulled and blood smearing inside my protective gear. The pain was so bad I fell to my knee, holding my arm and clenching my teeth to fight the pain. Hanna was panting with rage and still throwing that murderous glare at me. She was about to take another step, when someone stepped in front of me and she stopped.

"Don't come any closer." Said Eren calmly but with a threatening glare and claws out.

Mikasa knelt down next to me. "Are you alright?"

"Hurts like hell." I replied.

Hanna didn't try to advance anymore, but she ignored Eren and spoke directly to me. "It hurts, huh? You think that hurts? That's nothing compared to what I felt when I lost my friends to them. I can't stand you. You use your big brain to manipulate the Captain into thinking that you're useful to us, but you're not! Everything went to hell when you got here! Why are you even here?! Don't you think you've done enough?" She shouted.

"Hanna! That's enough! Stop it." Ordered Eld.

My head started spinning horribly again, even worse than when Annie scratched me. Her shouting was making it ring even more and it was annoying. I wanted her to stop. I wanted to get out of here. To go somewhere quiet. Mikasa told me that I looked horrible and that she was taking me to Hanji. She helped me stand up, and I started walking towards the exit, but I suddenly felt someone push me roughly off the mattress and I landed on the concrete almost crushing my shoulder in the process.

"WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?" The angry angel kept shouting. She had tears bursting out of her eyes. "WHY ARE YOU SO SHAMELESS? If it weren't for you... IF IT WEREN'T FOR YOU FRANZ WOULD STILL BE ALIVE!"

Couldn't she just shut up? I knew that already. I knew I killed nineteen people. I was working my butt off so that it wouldn't happened to others. So why couldn't she just leave me alone? My head was spinning even more now, so much that I wanted to puke. Even my eyes hurt. But she kept shouting. And shouting. And shouting.

"It's too much to understand for you, isn't it?!" She continued, tears still streaming down her face. "All you care about is your family! No one else matters to you! You know what? I hope Dok and Woermann find out! I HOPE THEY KILL THEM, YOU HEARTLESS BITCH!"

First, my mind went blank for god knows how long. Then I'm not sure how I got there after that. But a second after she shouted that, I found myself back on the mattress, right in front of her, a buckle knife in my hand ….. stabbing her in the abdomen. I wasn't feeling the pain in my arm or in my head anymore. All I could feel was the murder intent making my body shake. I looked up at her shocked face.

"No one threatens my family." I said with a low voice, filled with my rising anger. "Especially not some leech with emotional issues!" I took my knife out of her flesh and punched her in the face with my wounded arm, making her nose bleed. "You think I don't know what it's like to loose someone? You think I'm heartless?!"

I threw myself on her again with my new found speed and punched her in the chin again, before kicking her in the stomach. She fell on her back and I kicked her in the face again. "I lost my mother, my father, my little brother in a dumb car crash! And now, I'm this close to loosing my second family! If you're a threat..." I raised my knife in the air. "THEN DISAPPEAR!"

Something heavy then suddenly collided with the side of my head and made me fall to the ground, loosing my knife. But when I tried getting up, my wounded arm was killing me even more than before. My head was spinning so much that my vision was blurry. And I was cold. Very cold. I could feel the goosebumps covering my body. Everything I'd just done, caught up to me. Did I just try to kill someone? Intentionally?

Mikasa, who'd probably thrown that gun at me, knelt down next to me. "Petra! What was that? What's wrong with you?!"

"I...I..." I let out, shaking and still not believing what had just happened. An ocean of sweat was dripping down my face, as well as some blood probably from the hit. "I don't know..."

"No... it's impossible." Said Eren.

We all looked at him. He was pale and his eyes were filled with panic. "Forced emotional release... Adrenaline rush... Loss of control... Cold sweat..." He enumerated. Those were not the type of words I thought he'd use in a normal conversation.

"Eren what are you talking about?" Asked his foster sister. "What's wrong?"

The titan boy quickly approached and crouched down next to me as well. He grabbed my uninjured arm and pulled up my sleeve... before sinking his fangs in my flesh. I flinched in surprise and cried in pain a little, but I was too shocked to say anything.

"Eren!" Mikasa shouted, scared that he might be loosing it again. But he almost immediately pulled away, his eyes widened in shock. He licked the blood that had stayed stuck on his teeth and lips.

"No... No, no, no! This can't be happening! How... When...?"

The Captain, the head of the science branch entered the room led by Armin and head towards us. "What the hell is going on here?" Asked Levi, looking at us, while Hanji and Rico were taking a look at Hanna. "What do you think you're doing, Jeager?"

Eren kept his panicked eyes on his bite mark on my arm as he answered. "She has... morphochlorine in her blood..."

"WHAT?" Exclaimed Hanji and Rico at the same time. While the others looked at each other confused.

The angel Captain said nothing but got down as well and closed his mouth on my neck, his fangs piercing the flesh. "OW!" I shouted, still wondering what the hell was going on. He pulled away as fast as Eren did and made the exact same face as the titan.

"When the hell..."

"What's wrong with all of you?!" I cried, confused and still tortured by my arm and head. My teeth were chattering from the sudden cold I was feeling. "What's wrong with me?"

Levi looked at me with that ever serious face. "Kid, does your head hurt?"

"Y-yes."

"Are you cold?"

"Yes..."

"Does your throat and tongue feel dry?"

"Yes... Levi what's going on?" I asked desperately wanting an answer, and trying to ignore my body aching all over from the cold, the pain and the dryness.

The angel Captain didn't reply. He grabbed my arm and threw me over his shoulder. "Out of the way all of you! Rico, take care of Hanna. Hanji!"

"Right behind you." Replied the Head Medic.

"Jeager, you come too!"

My head was still spinning like hell, and it got worse when he carried me all the way to the infirmary. Before I could even settle down, the angel Captain made me sit in a chair, Hanji planted four needles in my good arm and wired me to her machines and computer. Everything was moving too fast around me. Suddenly, they all stopped and stared at the screen that was calculating something. I could practically see sweat falling from their faces. When the computer finally stopped calculating and pulled up some results, Hanji got way too close to the screen and froze. "She has a concentration of 0.47 of morphochlorine. She's in full phase 1." Said the doctor, stunned. "When did this happen?"

"Hey!" I shouted at them, finally tired of that agitation that was making me feel even worse. "Levi! What's going on? What's morphochlorine?" I cried, begging for an answer. They were scaring me and not just a little. "What's happening to me?"

Eren bit his lips and looked at the ground. Hanji clenched her teeth but kept her eyes on her computer. Levi closed his eyes for a second before answering me. "Morphochlorine is a drug. It prepares the body for other drugs that'll start the real mutations. It's the first phase before metamorphosis."

"Metamorphosis... to become what?" I knew the answer but I was praying that I was wrong.

"To become an Angel." Finished the Captain.

Eren shook his head. "Not Angel. Titan."

My heart skipped a beat. So that's what happened back there? When I tried to kill Hanna? I was becoming crazy. Crazy like one of those monsters. My body started shaking violently and I grabbed my shoulder to try and control myself. "I'm... turning into a monster, huh?" A nervous laughter escaped my lips.

A pair of hands with a strong grip grabbed my shoulders and I looked up at the Captain who was leaning towards me. "Petra!" He almost shouted, getting my attention. "Don't panic, you're not becoming one of us. It's only the preparation phase. If nothing more is done, the morphochlorine will get cleared out naturally. It's only a matter of time."

"About two weeks." Added Hanji. "Until then, you might still experienced some adrenaline rushes when training."

All my tensed up muscles relaxed at once. But my head was still killing me. I asked Hanji about the headaches and cold sweats, and she told me that those should only last a few hours. She gave me new stitches and bandages, but this time forbade me to train. She then gave me a painkiller and again, Levi ordered me to go back to rest. But when I tried standing up, I quickly lost balance. Levi caught me just in time.

"Eren, take her to her room. And tell one of the four weirdoes to stay with her. Then get back here."

"Yes... Sir." He added, still having trouble being near Levi and differentiating him from Lucifer. But he did as he was told and helped me (more like dragged me) to my room. Once in bed, he left after telling me he was calling Krista for me. I tried closing my eyes but couldn't sleep. I chuckled to myself. 'Looks like I'm more and more imbedded in your nightmare Captain. In the most ironic way possible.' I looked at my hand and my black painted nails. 'As long as they're still transparent, I'll know I'm still me.' It took a while for Hanji's painkiller to take effect. The door opened and Krista and Marco entered the room. My detective friend was carrying a cardboard box. Krista immediately ran to my side.

"Are you okay? What happened? All we got was that you went nuts and almost killed someone."

"Apparently, I've been poisoned. With a drug that's suppose to prepare my body to become a Titan." Krista and Marco's faces stared in horror. "Don't worry, the stuff itself can't do anything, and it'll be gone in two weeks according to Hanji." I chuckled again and sat up. "I'm a magnet for trouble aren't I? It's strange. The more I try to get my old life back, the more I get away from it. I might go crazy before anything really happens..."

I started shaking again and tears fell out of my eyes. Krista hugged me as I let the flow of salty water escape. Exhausted. I was exhausted. Levi was right, I needed rest. But just sleeping wasn't enough. Not with my head filled with worry and anxiety. I needed to know Tim, Amanda, Myra and Alec were alright, not far from me, breathing and healthy. Them as well as all of the Scouts. I was glad. So glad I had Ymir, Jean, Krista and Marco with me. I don't know what I'd do without them.

"We can't go back guys. We're not aloud to fail." I said.

A hand was placed on my shoulder and I looked up at my genius friend. "We're with you. All the way Petra. Speaking of our betrayal, I brought you something."

Marco placed the cardboard box on the bed in front of me. I looked inside and my eyes widened in surprise. Electronic chips, wires, soldering iron... Everything I needed to make SpyBugs. "Where in the world did you get all of this? And how did you know what I needed?"

"Well, I did keep the crushed SpyBug for you and it was easy to see inside. As for where I found those... you might not want to know."

"What you went through trash?" I said laughing. "You're amazing Sherlock. I'll get to work right away."

"Nu-hu! No way." He said taking the box away. "You rest first, like the Captain told you. Eight hours minimum. I'll start sorting out the pieces, you'll assemble them when you're awake."

Seeing clearly that I had no room for discussion I laid back down and closed my eyes. Yeah I really was exhausted. It was about time everything ended. For good.

* * *

 **Hanji's office, External POV**

The head of the science and medical branch still had her eyes glued to her screen. "This formula of morphochlorine is a lot more sophisticated than the one used on us. But that's not what worries me. It will take longer to clear out than ours, but it still should. How the hell did Petra end up with that in her system?"

"When that titan girl scratched her, when else Four-eyes?" Growled Levi. "The kid really can't get a break."

"Lucifer is fixated on her that's for sure, but why?"

"How should I know? I'm not in his messed up head."

Someone knocked on the door and Eren entered the room. "Good work on sniffing out the morphochlorine brat. How did you know?"

"She had all the symptoms of a first morphochlorine injection. I made sure by tasting. But I think there's more to it, Captain."

"What do you mean?" Asked the angel Captain frowning, wondering how things could get any worse.

"Lieutenant Hanji, do you have by any chance analyzed a sample of a Positive Titan's Spider-virus?"

"I have. Why do you ask?"

"Do you mind if I see it?"

Hanji pulled up her old reports on the S-Vs, as well as the comparison between the Angel and Titan ones. She remembered she was very surprised at how fast and more complex the Titan one was. It was composed of at least fifteen more elements that the other. Eren looked at the list of all those elements, with a very serious and focused face. "Crap." He cursed.

"Spill it brat, what's on your mind?"

"The S-V of Positive Titans is composed of most of the products that are necessary for mutation. But a normal human body wouldn't be able to withstand the fast changes. They'd probably die. It's only missing one thing."

"Morphochlorine." Finished Levi.

"This is not good." Said Hanji, crossing her arms. "If Petra's bitten by a Positive before it's cleared out of her system..."

"...she'll become a Titan." Finished Eren.

"How do you know all of this?" Asked Levi.

"I spent ten years in a lab seeing scientists testing out my crazy old man's formulas on other people. I remember the compositions well enough since they recited them out loud every time they did a new subject. I was in the lab permanently."

"And you're remembering this now?" Said the Captain with a reproachful look.

"I didn't think knowing the formula of a Titan's S-V was useful to you."

"You're right. It wasn't until now. Do you have any idea what allows you and the three other freaks to still control yourselves?" Asked Hanji.

The teenager shook his head. "No. We never received anything more than the others."

"In any case, Levi. If you're planning on letting Petra come with us on that last mission, someone is going to have to keep an eye on her the whole time. That might cause us problems during it."

* * *

 **Reiss Castle, Henry Aust's office**

The middle-aged man was going over the reports for the fiftieth time this week. Something was undoubtedly wrong, it's no surprise the King and generals called him out. The movements of the units was unclear. Three reports said three different things, as if they were making things up. And they weren't the first ones to be a mess. Passing himself as an ambitious businessman had aloud him to get a lot of information. Indeed something was very wrong with the movements of the Castle protective units. The man sighed and took a sip of his drink. Then someone knocked on the door.

"Come in." Said Aust.

A man in a black armored uniform entered. He was tall and with dirty blond hair. And just like Aust, he looked annoyed and exhausted, but ready for any order given. A true soldier. The kind Aust could rely on. "Reporting for duty, Sir." Said the new comer while saluting, fist on his heart.

"Hello Kirstein. Thank you for reporting so quickly."

"It's my job Sir. What do we have this time?"

"Internal investigation, as usual. That is my job, Kirstein."

"Pardon me, but if you requested my help it's for intervention. May I ask for specifics Sir?"

Henry Aust stood from his chair and walked over to the window. "Our suspect are the protective forces of the castle."

The Colonel of the Black Ops Squads let shock show on his face, which was not usual at all for him. He'd once been part of these forces, and when it comes to being straight laced, he knew no better than them. "Are sure?"

"I don't joke when it comes to something like that, Kirstein. We are talking about the section of the army that's suppose to protect our King and the people that lead our country. We can't allow traitors so close to our King. And something is definitely wrong here. The reports are all different and contradictory. So I'm guessing the problem lies at the top of the food chain."

"You don't think General Pixis is involved do you?"

"I don't know. Not him so much as those two so called merchants that have been requesting meetings with him recently. But I feel something ominous coming our way soon. And I bet it's going to hit hard. Unfortunately, my gut is rarely wrong. It's my job to investigate, but please stand ready to intervene at any time."

"Count on me, Sir!" Said the Colonel, saluting.

"Thank you Colonel. I really have a bad feeling about all of this. The illegitimate's constant disappearances might not be completely unrelated either."

"What are you suggesting? The girl is only seventeen."

"Age is nothing when you've suffered as much as she has. She's friends with your son isn't she?"

"That's right. If I can speak freely Sir, I don't believe someone like Historia could harm anyone, let alone plot something as massive as this."

"Kids can be unbelievably unpredictable, Colonel. You'd be surprised. Our dear illegitimate princess was seen stealing documents from this very room." Said Aust before taking another sip of his drink. "In any case, stand ready. Within this Castle's protective forces, there's something very fishy happening. I will soon need your help. I know you carry the uneasy job leading the forces in charge of dirty affairs. But I believe it will be very necessary this time."

"I'll do my job, Sir. No matter what it takes."

"I know my friend. It's good to have someone to rely on. For now, keep a close eye on the Royal family, that's all."

"Yes, Sir."

The Colonel saluted one last time and exited the room. He somehow felt betrayed by all of this. The last thing he expected corruption to come from was the castle's protective force. They were hand picked by the most loyal people under the King's command. How could something like this happen? And if the King asked Special Inspector of Internal Affairs, Henry Aust to get to the bottom of all of this, it was because his majesty felt the threat himself. Or was it someone else that had asked him? On his way to join his unit, his personal phone started ringing. It was his wife. The man held his breath, hoping she had good news for him.

"Samantha?"

" _Antoine! Finally. I've been trying to call you for hours."_

"What is it honey? Still no news of Jean?"

" _I'm getting worried, Antoine. He hasn't been home for three days now. I tried calling Marco since he told me he'd be with him but..."_

"You know how they are, these two. Don't worry too much, Sam. Marco probably dragged him into another one of his investigating things. I'll try to get in touch with them or the girls. Try to relax and get some sleep honey, alright?"

" _Alright. But call me as soon as you reach him."_

"Promise. I love you. Goodnight."

The man hung up and sighed. Reassuring his wife was one thing. Reassuring himself while he was in the middle of work was another. Truthfully, he was worried sick for his son as well. Aust's suggestion of Historia being involved in all of this came back to mind. If it was true, Jean couldn't possibly be with her? The Colonel shook his head. There was no way someone like Krista could be involved in something like that. Nor could his son. Antoine had faith in his son. Nothing would make him believe otherwise. With that, the man returned to his unit to give orders to his men.

* * *

 **Phew! So good to be back! I missed writing! Sorry, I delayed the climax a little but I promise it all starts next chapter, so hang on to your** **whiskers! And thank you guys for being so patient!**

 **PLEASE REVIEW**


	25. Chapter 25

**Hi guys. Again sorry for the delay. I'll try to be more regular in my updates. Again sorry.**

 **Hope you enjoy this anyways!**

* * *

"There." I said, holding up Ymir's uniform vest, having just finished sewing the SpyBug in the lining just above the chest. "I'm finally done. All four vests are equipped."

Ymir grabbed her vest and put it on. I stood up and looked at my friends all geared up. It was about time. We were finally going to hear about the Commander's plan. All five of us were silent. I geared up, making sure my not yet healed wounds were protected. I attached my holster to my leg. Thanks to Jean and Nanaba I'd gotten used to holding it properly and I was not a terrible shot. The firearm would be my best weapon. My self-defense was better than before but still crappy, and no way good enough for me to hold my own against one of the 'lucid' titans. It might help to avoid the mindless monsters though. Once done, I turned to face my friends. All of them were giving me serious faces and I could almost see drops of sweat forming on their foreheads. I took a deep breath.

"Last chance to back down you guys." I offered.

None of them answered but all threw me a reproachful and determined look screaming 'no way in hell.'

I sighed, but I didn't know if it was out of disappointment or relief. "Remember. We can't fail. This mission of ours is just as important as the Scout's, but they go hand in hand. Marco, did you get everything you need?"

"Yep. I've gathered everything. I'm good."

"Do you need me to help you go over the tech work?"

"Nope. My brilliant mind's got everything memorized. And when have you ever had to explain things to me twice? I am genius too, remember?" His smile was goofy as usual, but the nervousness was visible as well.

I smiled awkwardly back. "Yeah you are."

Jean put a hand on his best friend's shoulder. "You okay there?"

"I'm fine." He still smiled but looked at the ground. His shaking suddenly became visible. He grabbed his arm to try and settle himself. "I'll be sitting behind a computer. You guys are gonna be the ones on the battlefield facing monsters."

He was scared. For the first time in my life, I saw a scared Marco. All of them were scared and so was I. But Marco... he was the only one who was scared for someone else. He was going to be guiding us during the mission along with Erwin, Armin and a few other Scouts. If he gave one wrong direction or order, it could spell disaster for those on the battlefield. But no one was more qualified than this trio. They wouldn't let us down, I knew that much. But saying that to Marco was useless. He knew it very well and that didn't help relieve the pressure. So I did the only thing I thought was appropriate and hugged him as tight as I could, trying to choke the shaking away.

"I'll never regret having entrusted my life to you, Sherlock." I whispered so that only he would hear. His body seemed to relax and he hugged me back.

"Yeah, well... Don't go dying on me." He answered.

We separated and I faced everyone else. "I'll say it one more time you guys. Your priority is still survival. If everything goes out of hands... run for it."

They looked at each other with surprised faces before frowning at me. "As if, dummy!" Said Ymir.

"Yeah, who's gonna help you rescue Tim, Amanda, Mira and Alec if you're the only one left, stupid?" Added Jean.

"Put yourself in our place a little!" Reproached Krista. "You've never backed down on us, why would we? Besides, now we have a chance to pay you back?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Pay me back? For what? Dragging you guys in my problems?"

"Pff. Please, as if we need you to get in trouble." Snickered Jean.

"You saved us Petra. Without you, we'd never be where we are today."

"Thousands of feet underground, working for a secret organization set on annihilating monsters?" I said, still not getting her point.

"Woah. And here I thought you were a genius." Said Jean. "She means you're the one that brought us together."

"What?"

"Yeah, that's right!" Declared Ymir. "Without you, I'd never have gotten cleaned and I'd probably be dead of an overdose by now. Or in jail."

"I'd still be stuck in the Castle, taking my step-mom's abuse quietly." Said Krista.

Jean rubbed the back of his head. "I'd still be a bully picking on weirdoes at school."

"I'd never have met my best friend." Said Marco, throwing his arm around Jean's shoulders. "And I'd probably still be a shut in. So yeah, we definitely owe you."

"No debts between friends you guys." I said. "I'm glad I can count on you."

Honestly, what would I do without these guys. Krista looked at her watch. "We should go."

We all nodded before exiting our small stone house for the last time and headed towards the meeting point, near the Sanctuary's entrance. Almost all the Scouts were gathered aside from the wounded ones and the three in charge. All of them were quiet, but their bloodlust was so thick you could almost taste it in the air. It sort of made me feel sick. It was hard to believe that teens could feel as much angst as soldiers about to engage their enemies in a decisive battle. But that's exactly what was going to happen. Their revenge was close, very close and they were restless. But not in the same way we were. They were out to kill. We were out to save. While we waited I thought of my family. Where were they right now? Were they even together? Alec and Myra must be terrified. What was Amanda's reaction when she saw 'Levi' kidnap her and her kids? My train of thought was interrupted when the Commander, the Captain and the Head of the Science Branch of the Scouts approached. Erwin put a bunch of papers on the wooden table and looked at us.

"Everyone listen up. The day we've waited for is finally here." I felt a chill travelling down my spine as all the angels around me tensed up, and from my friends' faces, I knew they felt it too. "When our next mission ends, everything will be over. So I need all your focus on us for now."

Everyone looked at the Commander without blinking. No way were they missing a word of what he was about to say. Hanji took a step forward and spoke. "Here is what we know so far : Dok and Woerman as well as their science project are hiding in the undergrounds of the Castle near the Garage. And now, thanks to Krista and Erwin, we know that they've been posing as merchants and are frequently inside the Castle. This is what they look like now."

My eyebrows shot up at the knowledge of that fact. Krista gave us an apologetic smile, probably feeling bad about having forgotten to tell us. Hanji pulled up two large format pictures of two man. One with brown hair, a beard and an expression that would make anyone think he was out of a zombie movie. The other, shorter, black hair and the eyes of a snake. I clenched my fist as I tried to remember the sound of their voices. But my meditating suddenly got interrupted by a suddenly unsettling atmosphere that made goosebumps appear all over my body. I barely dared to turn around. It reeked of bloodlust and murder intent. The expression on the angels faces was full of hate. It screamed vengeance. Some of them even had their claws and fangs out. For the first time, these guys were scaring the hell out of me. Almost like Levi did at first. My chest tightened and every muscle in my body flexed to the point that it was painful and my teeth started chattering. It was like being surrounded by a pack of starving animals...

 **CRASH!**

The tensed atmosphere suddenly disappeared and everyone turned to where the sound of shattering earth had come from. Levi had been leaning, arms crossed, against the wall of the one of the stone houses since the beginning. The only thing that had moved was his arm, now extended, with is fist stuck to the wall. He'd punched it. And huge cracks were more than visible on it now. My mouth hung open. I knew angels were strong, but not that strong. Levi looked up. His eyes were throwing lightening and daggers at the group of young angels who now looked terrified as well as frozen. Even Erwin and Hanji seemed petrified. A deadly aura filled the room, a thousand times stronger than the bloodlust emitting from the Scouts a few seconds ago. This one was a pure pressure born from a deep anger. But there was no hate in there. Only that anger.

"You damn brats..." He said with his deep and threatening voice that could make any beast back down. "What. The fuck. Did we say. Three seconds ago. About focus! What the hell are you? Animals? I didn't waste three years of my life raising savage beasts. You disgust me! Every single one of you! More than science freaks, my ass. I feel like I'm dealing with Titans right now."

That was a first. I never thought Levi would ever put them down like this after everything they'd been through together. But there he was. Angry and disappointed. But I knew why. No way in hell was he going to let them loose on the field with nothing in the head aside from the crippling thought of revenge. And it was working. All of the younger angels had retracted claws and fangs, and were looking in every direction expect in their Captain's eyes. He took a couple of irritated breaths before speaking again.

"There are only two of them, so don't think you'll get dibs. The bastards are mine. You take care of your share of the mission. If any of you so much as think to act independently, I will personally send you to hell. Is that clear enough?"

All remained silent, which only served to irritate the Captain more. "I asked a question."

"Yes, sir." They all replied instantly.

"Why should it be you?" Muttered Eren, but loud enough so that everyone could hear.

"You said something Jeager?"

The Titan frowned at the angel. "We're just as much victims as you are? Why do you arbitrarily decide that you'll be the one to do it?"

"Eren." Said Mikasa with a worried voice, clearly warning him.

"Shut up Mikasa! I want an explanation. If you're not willing to give us even that, then you're just as selfish as _he_ is."

The angel Captain threw him a murderous look, but replied calmly. "You want a clear answer? Those sons of bitches are going to be hiding behind Lucifer. None of you are strong enough to take him on. You feel like you can take him on, brat?"

Eren was taken aback and didn't reply seeing the shorter man's point. "Thought so. Now unless someone else wants to waste our time, all of you focus and keep that bloodlust in check. I meant what I said about breaking your legs."

A long silence fell in the cave, and Erwin waited for all of that to sink in before continuing. "Let's move on. We also know that at least part of the military force is involved. That means that when we get on the ground, any soldier wearing a standard uniform could be an enemy. Our objectives are simple. Destroy the labs, and get rid of the Titans. Most of you will be dispatched in groups to deal with the Titans. Do what you must to protect yourselves. However... killing humans is absolutely forbidden unless there is no other way for you to survive. But if the Black Ops Squad intervenes, don't resist arrest."

Connie raised his hand. "Excuse me, Commander. Isn't there a risk that the soldier's of the Castle's protective Force pretend to be Black Ops?"

"I can answer that." Said Jean. "Black Ops have different uniforms, black with red stripes on the left sleeve. They only intervene when called in. Also their weapons are inaccessible to regular forces."

"Thank you Jean. We'll have a team of Navigators, guiding everyone else throughout the entire mission. That team will be composed of Armin, Nicolas, Marco and Myself. All of us will be working from a truck parked outside the Castle. Petra." He called out.

"Yes?"

"Would you be able to hack into the Castle's security system and give us access?"

"No. I'd need to know it's exact set up and equipment, as well as their protective programs."

Erwin grabbed a sheet of paper offered it to me. "Will this help?"

I left the group and to go grab the sheet and looked through it quickly. My eyes widened. This thing was complete recap of the entire security system. "Holy hell, Krista." I said to my friend looking at her. "Who's boots did you have to lick to get these? This is national security issue!"

Again she smiled awkwardly. "Let's just say I have a really clever big sister. Freida and I left the original there. This is just a copy."

"Well, the security can't really be accessed unless those virtuel shields are taken down. I'll have to do that from the inside, by getting to the control room that watches over the Garage and underground floors." I looked at the sheet and squeezed in my hands. "Is everything alright, Petra?" Asked Hanji.

"Yeah. It's just... this probably came from Tim's office."

Erwin fake coughed and continued. "The rest of you are divided as usual. Team leaders are the Lieutenants : Eld, Gunther, Oluo and Hanji. Hanji's squad, you'll find the labs and take care of recovering every valuable information from them."

"Any ongoing project will be neutralized." Clarified the Head of the Science Branch. No more Titans. That was clear.

Samuel raised his hand. "What about the three like Eren? What do we do about them?"

Levi answered this time. "If they get in the way, don't hesitate. They're Lucifer's dogs."

"Eld and Gunther's teams will be in charge of dealing with the Titans." Continued Erwin. "Oluo's squad will be in charge of lookout for any exterior threat we might have not anticipated. Eren will be with Hanji's team"

"And finally, the last team in charge of finding Dok and Woerman, will be composed of Captain Levi, Petra, Connie, Thomas, Sasha and Mike."

Hanji took some small leather cases and placed them on the table. "Petra, Krista, Jean and Ymir. These are for you. Each contains six syringes. If you get bitten by a positive, be sure to inject it right away where the wound is. It'll neutralize the Spider-virus."

"We leave here in twenty-four hours. Until then, I suggest you get some rest. We've managed to get our hands on some blood bags, all of you will get a dose before leaving."

Erwin paused and observed the young angels in front of him. Ever since Levi's recall to order, none of them had let their personal feelings show and were listening intently. But the Commander was not stupid. He knew those feelings were there, buried deep inside every heart, and that they would not leave until that final mission was completed. The death of their tormentors will bring them peace and without dirtying their hands. Levi had made that clear : he would take all the darkness and disappear with it. And that is what I was going to prevent. Erwin spoke again.

"Those past three years have been difficult for all of us. And I want to say that, I admire all of you for sticking with us even though so much has been taken from you already. Tomorrow, we put an end to your struggles. So keep fighting until the very end, soldiers. Your story deserves a good ending."

In a single movement and without any warning, all the angels in the room banged their fists on their hearts. Us five normals didn't move, a little dumbfounded. Now that I thought about it, Erwin really was the perfect men for the job. Unlike Levi, he knew how to talk to people. Levi was good at giving orders and reacting fast depending on the situation, but I was sure it would have been much harder without the Commander around to help. And with this, he dismissed us.

* * *

 **External POV**

"Are you sure there's no other way?" Asked Timothy Kiler.

"I don't see why you're hesitating, Mr Kiler." Replied the copy-cat. "You want to unite your family again don't you? Do what you're told and I'll bring your lovely wife and children back to you. It's also the best way to get Petra back without having her confront our Titans, or myself." He chuckled. "Well, she already has."

Timothy felt his shoulders stiffen. He knew Petra was still alive and that she'd gone back with the Scouts. But while she'd been their captive, who knows what could've happened? "What did you do to her?"

"Don't look so worried. I only had a talk with her... and a little drink." Said the clone licking his lips. "She's delicious."

"You bastard..." Muttered the older man, clenching his fists.

"In any case, do those little favors for me, and I will free you and your family from Dok, Woerman and any ties you have to this unfortunate affair. You'll be able to go back to your old life as if nothing happened."

"You really think I'm stupid enough to believe that?" Coldly snapped Timothy.

"First, I'm not interested in Woerman and Dok's revolution. It's a silly concept, from childish minds. It will bring nothing but disaster. Second, you don't really have a choice in the matter, so I suggest you save your breath and do what I tell you. Remember I can still change my mind."

* * *

 **Petra's POV**

POW! POW! POW!

Each of the bullets I fired hit the target near the center. Turned out I wasn't bad at that, maybe because my aim was well trained because of archery and knife throwing. In any case, Levi was right as usual (unfortunately). It was much easier and faster to learn how to shoot straight than become a expert in combat in a week. But it was probably going to get much harder with moving targets. I charged my gun again and fired some more. I had gotten used to the weight of the guns we had as well as the kickback of the shot. I hit myself in the chin the first time because of it. Jean spent a lot of time explaining things to me and he was the best so, I definitely had a good teacher.

"You mind saving some bullets for the actual mission?" Said a voice behind me. Although, at this point I was done with people sneaking up on me. I lowered my gun and turned around.

"Yeah, I should." I replied. "Can I help you, Captain?"

Levi walked closer. "That's unusual."

"What is?"

"You calling me Captain when we're alone."

The remark made my cheeks heat up a little. It was not intentional at all. Why did I call him Captain? "Is it weird?"

"Coming from you, a little."

He extended a hand and I gave him the gun. He emptied it of the four remaining bullets in the target next to mind. All hit the center. He handed it back to me. "I thought you said 'save bullets. Must be something wrong with my ears."

"That wouldn't be the first time."

"Quit being a jerk. Did you come here to show off or did you want something?"

"We have to talk. And I need a favor."

My eyes widened. "You need a favor from me? Now that is weird."

He ignored my reaction and continued. "There's something we didn't tell you. The morphochlorine in your system has a purpose. If you get bitten by a positive, you'll become one of us. No not even one of us. A titan."

I froze for a second. I felt the anger rise from the bottom of my stomach. Why the hell didn't they tell me sooner? What was wrong with them holding back information as important as this? But the anger vanished as quickly as it had a appeared. I sighed. "You held back the information on purpose so I'd get cold feet for the mission didn't you? If you don't want me to go that badly, wouldn't it be easier to just knock me out?"

I mentally slapped myself. Why the hell did I just suggest that? But once again the angel Captain seemed to ignore my comment. He just stared at me, as if he was really focused. It was unsettling. I felt like he could see right through me. Did he suspect something about our betrayal, if it was the case I was doomed.

"Hum, didn't you say you wanted a favor?" I asked, looking for a distraction.

"Yeah, I need your blood."

Again I froze and tensed up. "Why? I-I thought Erwin said he managed to obtain blood bags..." I unconsciously took a step back. What was going on?

"One for everyone who's participating in the raid. But Jeager and Sasha need extra just in case, so I gave mine to the Titan brat."

"What will you do if I say no?"

"I'll ask someone from your weirdo crew."

"What if they say no?"

"If I can't get it here, I'll go outside." He replied as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

My eyes widened in shock. "You're gonna bite some random person walking in the street? Like a stray?! Are you crazy?"

He sighed. "Look kid. Wether you like it or not, I'm a key player in this raid. I need energy. There are over fifty brats who have waited thirteen years to get their lives back. I'm not gonna risk victory for a pint of blood. Should I take that as a no?"

Damn this guy for playing the guilt card with me. And damn that side of me that supported him because he was right about needing energy. 'I guess being self-supplied for three years has it's secondary effects on personality as well.'

"I didn't say I wasn't going to give it to you." 'Wow Petra. Couldn't have found a more indirect way to say okay.' I thought, finding myself pathetic.

Levi took a step closer and pulled my sleeve up. I still had the bite mark from the last time he bit me. I rubbed it with my thumb. That one time, I was the one who offered, so why was I feeling reluctant now. It was so awkward to have him ask. The angel pulled me out of my contemplation by grabbing my wrist. I looked at the ground and clenched my teeth for the pain.

"Don't you want to sit?" Asked the angel.

"Hum, no. It's fine really. Just hurry up."

He brought his face closer and sunk his fangs in my flesh. Again I tensed up and every muscle in my body stiffened. The cold sensation traveled down my spine and made goosebumps appear all over.. But this was the first time I was being bitten while standing up and I quickly understood why he had asked me to sit. My legs were shaking so much that I quickly lost balance. One clumsy step made my knees give in. But instead of hitting the ground, Levi's free arm snaked around my waist keeping me from falling down.

"I warned you." He said, blood still dripping from his mouth.

"Shut up." I muttered. "How did you know I was gonna fall?"

"Last time I drank from you, you were shaking like a leaf. I doubt you had the time to get used to having a monster sink his fangs in your skin."

"Don't blame me if I never do." I muttered.

He knelt down on one knee and set me on the ground, before biting me again. Attempting to forget the stabbing pain in my veins, I glanced at the angel. This time his eyes were closed and he was drinking quickly. In a couple of hours, I'd become his enemy and he'd probably try to kill me. The thought made me sigh. I didn't like it, but I'd brainstormed on it over and over again. It was the only option. And I was not getting cold feet now.

"Hey Levi?"

He pulled away and wiped the blood off his mouth. "What is it?"

"There's something I didn't think about before. And I don't know if it's really useful... but when I was kidnapped by Lucifer, I was blindfolded but Dok and Woerman were there. And they didn't get along at all with him. It felt like they were threatening him..."

The angel Captain stayed quiet for a little while. "These bastard wanted to clone me because they couldn't get me to work for them. If Lucifer refused their offer as well, then they're probably blackmailing him somehow."

"Is that info of any use to us?"

"Depends. He could turn on Dok and Woerman at some point. But we can't count on it." He stood up and offered me a hand which I took. He pulled me to my feet and looked at me. "Please tell me you weren't hoping to get him on our side?"

"You're joking right? That guy kidnapped my family and is blackmailing my father into working for these guys. No, I was just thinking it might be good for us if there was bad blood between them."

"You're not as stupid as you look kid."

"Gee thanks." I growled, annoyed.

Levi brought my hand up to his face and licked the bite mark. Again, my cheeks heat up. 'I'm never getting used to that either.' I told myself. He then let go.

"Thanks for the meal kid. And no more wasting bullets and energy. Go get some sleep." He started walking away.

"Where are you going?"

"Outside."

"Wait a minute, didn't I give you enough..."

"I'm not hunting dummy. I'm going to see someone."

See people from the outside? That could only mean one thing. "You're going to the Three Roses." He didn't reply and kept walking. I suppose it was only natural to want to see your friends one last time before participating in a raid that could get you killed. Like saying goodbye to your family. I went to the showers to wash my face. I looked at myself in the mirror. 24 hours? I wouldn't be able to sleep before some time. And I wasn't aloud to train anymore. If I could have it my way. I'd probably go walk in a park or get a warm drink somewhere. Winter was definitely here. There was one thing I did know, I didn't want to be alone. I'd think too much about everything and I didn't want that. Without really knowing what I was doing, I put my jacket back on and ran full speed towards the exit of the Sanctuary, that the angel Captain was about to leave.

"LEVI! Wait!" He stopped and turned around. "Can I come with you? I want to see the sun. It's been a while...Please?" I added before he could refuse.

"Stay close."

I held back a victory cry and followed the Captain outside. It was almost five o'clock, so the sun wasn't up yet. Both of us walked through almost empty streets, quietly. We weren't lacking oxygen in the Sanctuary, but the fresh winter air was great. Levi didn't say a word. He wasn't the one to start casual conversations, but this silence was different. I didn't want to interrupt it. So we stayed quiet, walking side by side. As we approached the bar, light snow started falling. I looked up at the sky. It was hard to believe that all hell was going to break loose in less than a day. We finally reached the Three Roses and Levi pushed the door open. I stopped.

"If you want to be alone with them, I can wait outside." I offered, suddenly feeling like a crasher.

"You wanna freeze your ass off? Don't be stupid, get in." It was empty, expect for a blond man who seemed to be sleeping on the counter.

"Hannes!" Snapped Levi, which made me jump a little.

"I'M AWAKE HONEY! Oh, Levi? Well isn't that a surprise. Having you here in the short space of three weeks is something."

"You forgot to lock the door again, old man."

The man with red cheeks (probably du to alcohol) rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Lucky it was you who caught me. Oh, well if it isn't the little miss from last time. I hope you're feeling better."

"Yes, thank you." I replied.

"This lazy drunk is Hannes. He helped out the night I brought you here. He's the bar co-owner with Farlan. Speaking of which, can you wake them up for me?"

"Sure thing." Said the man standing up. "Make yourself at home, but you don't need me telling you that."

Levi took off his jacket and reached under the counter to grab a glass and a bottle. He poured himself a drink. "Don't just stand there, kid. Have a seat."

I did as I was told. I hadn't really taken the time to notice the last time I was here but... this place was very hospitable. Maybe that was the vibe I got from Farlan and Isabel. I was happy that Levi was drawn to this place. It made his darkness vanish for a little while. I stared at him downing his third shot.

"Are you sure you should be drinking at this hour?"

"Mind your own business."

"It is my business. I'm not dragging you back drunk to HQ."

"I can't get drunk." He replied. "Haven't been able to in three years."

"Then why do you drink?" I asked. He made no sense at all.

"It keeps me from thinking."

I sighed. "Then I need a glass of that."

To my big surprise, Levi poured another glass and handed it to me. I looked at him raising an eyebrow but he didn't move. So I grabbed the shot. Looked like I was about to commit my second crime. First hacking, now underaged drinking. What could go wrong? I poured half the glass in my mouth and swallowed... only to spit out most off it. The liquid was burning my throat horribly. I coughed so loudly I was practically choking, and tears escaped my eyes.

"Oh my god, that's disgusting..." I said with a choked voice.

A half smile appeared at the corner of the angel's lips. "Hmpf, idiot." He said grabbing the glass from my hand and finishing it. I suddenly forgot about the burn in my throat.

"Did you just laugh?" I asked.

"Quit staring. It's creepy."

BAM! The back door flew open and Isabelle, with messy bed hair and wearing sports pants and a sweatshirt. She looked ultra happy, just like last time but multiplied by a hundred. "Big brother Levi!" She ran towards us and hugged the angel as hard as she could. "I didn't know you'd drop by again so soon! You even brought Petra again. How are you sweetie?"

"Good. Thank you."

She made a face. "What's wrong with your voice? Are you sick?"

"I drank a little."

The short woman frowned and hit Levi behind the head. "You should be ashamed of yourself, Levi." She went in the behind the counter and came back with a glass of water for me, which I drank right away. It soothed my burning throat.

"I swear, even if it's cold now, it's not good to teach kids to drink to warm up." Ranted the red head, glaring at her 'big brother.' "I'm not even sure I should let you drink. I was really worried about you two. Last time you left completely panicked. And you never panic Levi. I hope whatever was troubling you ended well."

Neither of us replied and the number nineteen came to invade my mind again. I looked at the ground, unable to verbalize what I was thinking. Levi wasn't looking at his friend either. It didn't take long for the short woman to understand. She threw one arm around my neck and the other around Levi's and hugged us tightly.

"At least you two are fine. And don't you dare doubt that's a good thing."

She held us for a little while without either of us complaining, which was surprising considering Levi's personality. She let us go when Farlan entered the room carrying a plate full of waffles in one hand, and a tray full of little things to eat on the other. "You being here twice in the space of a couple weeks, that's cause for celebration." Said the man smiling, as he set the food down on the counter.

Hannes then entered the room carrying a bunch of bottles. "Well December's here, we might as well get warm the old fashion way! Well, at least for those of us who are old enough."

The angel rolled his eyes. "Tch. Damn old man, you just want an excuse to keep drinking."

I looked up. "We're already in December?" I'd completely lost interest in the calendar due to everything that's been going on. I suppose the Scouts didn't really care either.

"Yep. December 11th to be exact." Said Isabelle.

My eyes widened in surprise. "Wow, I completely lost track of the date... I turned eighteen five days ago."

"Well, that's even more cause for celebration." Said Isabelle.

We stayed an hour and a half with them, drinking and eating while all of them talked about the old days with Levi. I was mostly there as a spectator, except when Isabelle would ask me question about my relationship with the Captain. It was nice to see Levi in this kind of crowd. So different from the Scouts, that could chase his darkness for a little while. Levi then said we had to go if we wanted to get any sleep before the mission. The sun was about to rise as well. Hannes was dead drunk on the counter, and Isabelle and Farlan walked us to the door. They looked serious compared to a few minutes ago. I could tell they knew why Levi was here.

"Well, be sure to drop by next month." Said the man, forcing himself to smile. "I'll have a bottle ready for you."

"And bring Petra too. I won't let you in if you don't." Threatened Isabelle who was fighting to keep the tears in.

Levi threw them one last look before turning around. "Sure." Was his only reply. He started walking and I followed him, taking the way back to HQ. When we crossed the bridge over the river that cut the city in two, Levi stopped in the middle and looked at the horizon.

"Why are we stopping?"

"Didn't you say you wanted to see the sun?"

Indeed, the clear light of the horizon showed that the sun was soon going to appear. When it did, I forced myself to stare at the bright burning light. It felt amazing. I couldn't even remember the last time I saw the sunrise or the sun itself at all actually, what with living like a bat in the dark with unnatural light. The cold wind of the morning played with our hair and tickled my nose. I sneezed at the combination, but kept admiring the sunrise.

"Now's your last chance kid." Said Levi.

I turned to face him completely. The one standing in front of me now was not the Levi that was friends with Farlan and Isabelle. It was the Captain of the Scouts, with his piercing glare that meant business. The one that showed the darkness again.

"Do you still want to fight?"

Right, the nightmare. The nightmare he thought so atrocious, so horrible that even death was better. He kept offering what he thought was the better option. That's just how kind hearted and mistaken he was. I took a deep breath and looked at him in the eyes without blinking. This was the last time I was giving him an answer to that question.

"No, I want to live, Levi. And I want you to live too." 'I know you're capable of smiling and laughing. So you should allow yourself to live for real and be happy.' I thought to myself.

He looked at me for a long time before speaking again. "You're really one in a million, aren't you?"

He started walking again and I followed him without adding a word.

* * *

 **24 hours later**

" _Navigators to all squads, do you copy?"_ Asked Marco's voice in the earpieces.

" _Squad Michael, ready."_ Replied Eld.

" _Squad Gabriel, ready."_ Said Oluo.

" _Squad Raphael, ready."_ Continued Gunther.

" _Squad Seraphim, ready."_ Said Hanji.

" _Squad Judgement, ready._ " Finished Levi.

Erwin took a deep breath before giving the order. _"Alright, angels. Forward!"_

"Let's get this party started." Said Hanji before pressing the detonator.

* * *

 **Finally the final raid begins! Hang on to your whiskers!**

 **PLEASE REVIEW**


	26. Chapter 26

**Hi guys. I know it's been forever and I'm really sorry. But work is pilling up and my time for writing gets eaten up pretty quickly. No worries though, I have no intention on giving up on my story! Again, sorry.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **External POV**

"Alright. Everyone, masks on." Ordered the head of the science branch, after the Commander's order.

All the members of Squad Seraphim obeyed their lieutenant and covered their noses and mouths. The woman realized that Eren's eyes were glowing with anger as he did the same as the other.

'Was it really wise for Erwin to entrust him to me? Levi already had trouble restraining him. If he snaps I might have to stop him permanently. But then again if we encounter one of the three, he might be our biggest asset. I want to trust this kid like everyone else... But Erwin wouldn't have entrusted him to me without consulting Levi. I guess all we can do is see what happens and hope he doesn't go berserk on us.'

The Lieutenant of Seraphim let out a sigh before her usual crazy scientist smile appeared on her face again. "Let's get this party started." Said Hanji before pressing the detonator.

All the Scouts covered their ears and closed their eyes when the bomb went off. They were far enough to avoid the impact, but their highly sensitive hearing and sight needed shielding from the noise and the light of the blast. Once the hole in the wall was made, the group of Scouts entered the -10 level of the Garage. Following Marco's logic and Ymir's calculations, they'd landed here, just as predicted. Officially, according to Krista, there were only suppose to be 7 subterranean levels. Marco said that it would be very improbable that there could be more than five extra levels. After that point, digging in the ground would've been very risky. The first things Seraphim squad took care of were the lights.

"Find the electrical circuits and fry them." Ordered Hanji.

"What's the point, Lieutenant?" Asked Samuel. "The Titans can see in the dark as well."

"Titans yes. Human soldiers, no. It'll limit their ability to fight us if they can't see. They're bound to have a generator somewhere here. If we find it, we destroy it. Let's move."

The light's cables led them straight to the generator. After frying it, the whole place became dark. The only thing visible to the human eye now, were the pairs of glowing irises moving swiftly and quickly.

"Lieutenant, are you sure they don't have a backup generator somewhere?" Asked Eren as they ran down the hallways.

"Of course they do. If they have a lab here, then they'll definitely have another one. Do you recognize this floor Eren?"

"No."

"Then there's got to be more. According to Marco the lab is most certainly on the last floor. Let's head down there quickly."

The squad moved quickly and efficiently, all of them one hundred percent focused on their mission. They knew that if they wanted this mission to succeed and their nightmare to end, they needed to cast aside their blood thirst and hatred for Dok and Woerman and listen to the orders of their Lieutenant. With their catlike agility, the Scouts moved through the hallways efficiently until they found elevators. Two of them kept the doors opened manually, as Hanji attached cables to the edge. The angels jumped in and went down as far as they could. Just like Marco had said, the last level seemed to be level -12. And just as predicted, when they opened the doors, that floor was still lit. Hanji was now certain that the lab was there somewhere. Eren perked up when he saw it.

"I know this floor." He growled his eyes glowing with anger once more. "The lab is ahead."

"I thought you didn't remember where it was." Said Hanji raising an eyebrow.

"I was drugged before. But I can smell it. The stench of anesthetics is strong enough to choke on." He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply.

"Keep yourself in check." Ordered the Lieutenant. "I don't want to have to shoot you Eren."

"No that's not it. I smell blood." Said the teen as if he was surprised.

"I imagine that's not too out of the ordinary..."

"No, this is too much. There shouldn't be that many humans down here. I would've smelled it ages ago."

"Humans? Maybe soldiers … Alright, keep your eyes, ears and noses open, guys." Ordered the head of the science branch, scanning the hallway.

Again the group moved silently, following Eren's acute sense of smell. At the end of a hallway, they encountered a group of guards. Hanji shot the lightbulbs and the Scouts took them out quickly and efficiently. However, Eren didn't assist for a simple yet very good reason. He was afraid. The Titan boy could feel his heart beat faster than usual, and the blood boiling in his vein. He wanted to loose it. He wanted to find those bastards and end them with his own claws. Those thirteen years of torture had awakened a monster inside of him. And that beast was raging to get out and go on a rampage. But he couldn't let that happen. The captain was right : if he let the monster take over, he'd have lost to them. He wouldn't be Eren anymore, and no way in hell was he allowing that. Not now that he found Mikasa and Armin. He was Eren, no psychos were going to take that from him anymore. But the closer they got to the lab, the harder it was for him to focus. It was like his body was moving on it's own. But he didn't try to stop himself. He was guiding his new allies after all.

'I'm not loosing to you!' He thought, just as the small group entered the hallway that had the metal door at the end.

"We're here." Said the Titan.

Hanji approached the door and tried to open it. It was locked. The lieutenant pressed her head against the metal door. A human would never have been able to hear anything, but the angel's superior hearing heard people talking inside.

" _Why do you think the boss has us working so fast today?"_

" _What do you think? We've lost half of the titans when we sent them after the angels. If you ask me that wasn't a very brilliant plan."_

" _Still, we can't rush the process. This bunch is almost done, but it'll take at least a month before the new ones are ready."_

" _Anyways, you should go get Lucifer. So he can brainwash the new bunch and we can get started with the others."_

" _No way, you go get him. I'm not approaching the monster."_

" _You really are a wuss. They can't hurt us, we make the monsters for them."_

" _Say that to his face and see if he cares about replacing one of us."_

" _Fine, I'll go. You really are a wuss."_

Hanji bit her lower lip. She knew these voices. She couldn't put names on them but she didn't need to. They were definitely part of the crew of scientists that tortured them for ten years and turned them into monsters. Until now she had always been able to cast aside all personal feelings about them. But now she could feel her insides twist and her blood boil in her veins. It was a physical representation of her hate and rage she felt for them, the real monsters. Her eyes flashed angrily, and her fangs stretched out inside her mouth. She hasn't wanted to kill this much in a very long time. However, the head of the science branch was far from irrational. She immediately felt the heart rates of her squad accelerate and could even hear them growling. They sensed her own feelings acting up and were on the verge of loosing it themselves. If she lost it, the mission would be a miserable failure. There was no telling how many casualties they'd have on their backs, and Levi would never forgive her for screwing it up because of personal interest. He trusted her, that's why she was in charge. And no matter how much she hated these guys, she'd hate herself even more if she betrayed the trust of the man who saved her. Not Hanji Zoe. She was better than this. She was more human than them. Much more. And she was going to prove that. She heard the steps of one of them coming towards the door and extended her hand to tell her squad to hold still until her signal. She took a step back when she heard the heavy door being unlocked from the inside. The second the door started opening, the woman kicked the door with all her inhuman strength, swinging it open despite it's weight. The scientist shrieked and backed off as far as he could, bumping into the tables covered in mountains of papers containing scientific gibberish that only Hanji could understand. Squad Seraphim rushed inside and the last ones locked the door again to prevent anyone from escape. All the people in white vests froze when the masked angels in black uniforms entered. There was about twenty of them. The head of the science branch took out her gun and pointed it forward, imitated by a couple angels of her squad.

"Get away from the tanks and line up against the wall!" She shouted so that all the scientists in the room could hear her. "Any funny business and you'll end up with a bullet in the cranium." She threatened.

Two Scouts quickly went around the room to make sure all of them were accounted for. Hanji left a couple of them to watch over the shaking humans and approached one of the tanks. She quickly examined the injection tubes. She looked at the person in there. Claws out, fangs stretching out of his mouth... it was already too late. If they woke up, they'd no longer be humans, but savage monsters who'd kill humans. Hanji took a deep breath, before walking over to the general control board and pressing the emergency termination button. She'd been in the lab long enough to know that that button released a powerful anesthetics mixed with a lethal poison that killed in a matter of seconds. Hanji forced herself to look at the people in the tanks. Just like them, they'd had their lives stolen and it was unfair to end them like this, like animals. At the very least, she would show them the respect they were due. To be looked at like they mattered, because they did. Two tears escaped the Lieutenant's eyes as the vital scanners started beeping, indicating that they were gone. Hanji shot the machine in frustration, shutting it up.

"Lieutenant, are you alright?" Asked one of the Scouts.

Hanji quickly wiped the tears from her eyes. "I'm fine."

"What do we do with them?" Asked Eren pointing at the scientists leaning against the wall.

Hanji threw them a threatening look. She felt those urges to murder even stronger than before. A million ideas travelled through her mad scientific mind. Drowning them in the tanks water to give them a taste of their own medicine was one of them. But as she tried to push her imagination, an image of Levi popped into her head. The one she couldn't betray. That single thought brought her back to reality.

"Tie them up and put them to sleep. Actually wait. Which one of you is in charge here?"She asked the scientists this time. "We're kind of in a hurry so please don't make us gouge your eyes out one by one to find out." She said, sounding as cheerful as ever. "Better yet, we'll feed you to the titans."

Fear struck all of them and all pointed to one man in the room. Her memory hadn't tricked her when she recognized the voices. Hanji approached the man way too close for comfort and pulled down her mask. She smiled at him, grabbed his hand and shook it.

"Hi, my name is Hanji, but you know me as S-F199! Nice to see you again, Doctor Noll. Let's talk. Stay here and watch the others. If they try to escape, shoot them."

The angel grabbed the man by the collar and dragged him to the other side of the room far from the rest of the group, while ordering her squad to put the others to sleep and tie them up. She found a corner and pushed him there.

"Please, I-I'm sorry! I only did what I was told!"

"I'm not interested in what you've done, I know all about that doctor. I was there remember? What I want to know, is about this place. First things first, where are the Titans? And just so you know for every wrong answer I will break one of your fingers."

"They're kept in the upper floors. J-just under the garage." Stuttered the terrified man.

"Good boy." She falsely praised. "Next question : how many labs are left?"

"There are only two. You Scouts destroyed all four external labs."

"What do you think Marco?" She asked through her earpiece.

" _He might not know. I wouldn't take his word for it."_ Replied the genius. _"Well have to get it out of Dok and Woerman. Ask him where they are and I'll relay the info to Squad Judgment."_

The angel turned back to the scientist. "Where are your bosses?"

"They went to the castle a few hours ago?"

"Why would they go there?"

"They had to meet with their clients I think. Please don't hurt me."

"Clients?" Asked Hanji. Why would these guys have clients?

" _Ask him about it!"_ Ordered Marco, suddenly having a bad feeling about the whole thing.

"Who are they?" Said Hanji a little too loud, letting the navigator's nervousness get to her. "Talk!" She shouted, grabbing him around the neck, her claws digging in his skin.

"S-some merchant that came to the Castle a couple months ago, and one the King's officials. Darius something!"

" _Darius Zackley. No way. That's the military supervisor."_ Said Marco, pensively _. "Everyone, listen up. I think I know why the military's involved. Watch out for the Castle's protective forces, they might all be in on it."_

" _What did you find out Sherlock?"_ Asked the Captain this time.

" _I don't have time to explain in details. But corrupt politician comes to mind. Just be careful of anyone you come across wearing the Castle's uniform. Lieutenant Hanji, ask him about Lucifer too."_

"What about Lucifer?" She asked, digging deeper in his flesh.

"I swear on my life, I don't know! He always wanders around without telling anyone! Please don't hurt me!"

Hanji's eyes turned even darker and her voice deepened when she spoke. "How dare you even ask that, after what you did to our kids? You have no right to beg for mercy, scumbag." She said slowly and calmly, but squeezed his neck even harder so much that he started choking.

" _Hanji."_ She heard Erwin's voice through the earpiece. _"Remember the mission."_

It took a couple of deep breaths for the head of the science branch to relax. "Yes, sir."

She looked at the scientist and let him go. He fell to his knees and coughed loudly while regaining his breath. "I have one last question for you. What is the Alpha?"

The man gave her a surprised look. "You don't know that? That's the reason we created Lucifer."

"Spill. What makes him so special?"

"The Alpha status is extremely rare. It's given when an angel can ..."

POW! It took a fraction of second for the bullet to travel through the air, then the scientist's brain and then crash into the wall. The man died even before he crashed on the ground.

"Lieutenant!" Shouted Eren as he ran to join her side.

He looked up and Hanji followed his stare to the top of one of the tanks. The Titan growled like an animal. "I knew I smelled a rat in here." He said.

Sitting on top of one of the Tanks, a blond girl was looking at them. She looked bored but never took her eyes off them. She was probably one of the three titans Levi and Eren mentioned.

"And this was my last bullet too..." She said before tossing the gun away. Her eyes turned to Eren again. "Good, you're here too. That'll save us the trouble of hunting you down."

She jumped of the tank and landed in front of them. "You stink." She said, eying Hanji.

"Sorry, it's the chili I had for lunch. Delicious but it couldn't be any worse for digestion." Cockily replied the Lieutenant, smirking. "Is she one of the lucid Titans, Eren?"

"Yeah, her name's Annie." Growled the titan boy without ever taking his eyes off the girl. "I don't know her that well, but she's stronger than the two others combined."

'Crap!' Thought Marco. 'I thought the three of them would be closer to Dok and Woerman for protection. What's going on?'

Hanji pointed her gun at the female titan and fired three shots. Annie raised an arm that was covered in that weird unbreakable crystal, and blocked every one of them. But the look on her face never changed. She ignored Hanji and spoke to Eren again.

"Lucifer's waiting for you. He's not very happy that we released you with the rest of the monsters. And the whole thing was wash too. He was pissed when we lost you."

The words she said seemed like she cared unlike her tone and face.

"I'll say it once, Jeager. You should come back willingly while you still can."

"And be Dok and Woerman's puppet for the rest of my life? Screw that."

"The boss doesn't care about these two. They won't be a problem much longer anyways."

The head of the science branch frowned. "What do you mean by that?"

"None of your business, angel." She replied her eyes throwing daggers this time. "You won't be alive much longer anyways."

The girl took off her sweatshirt, revealing her right arm that was entirely covered of that crystal, as well as claws also crystal colored. Her fangs also stretched out and she licked them, as if to sharpen them even more.

"You really think you can take all of us on? That's pretty reckless." Commented Hanji, raising her gun again.

"Who says I'm alone?" She answered, voice filled with contempt.

At that precise moment, snarls and growls reached the ears of the titan boy. "You should have paid more attention to your surroundings."

"Lieutenant Hanji!" Said Eren, go back to the others and get them out of here!"

"What about you, kid?"

"They want me alive, they won't kill me. Besides … I've been waiting for this."

" _We don't have much of a choice."_ Said Armin in the earpiece. _"You have to find and eliminate the titans of the lowest floor, Lieutenant."_

"Sorry Jeager." Said Annie. "You're not my target. Move out of the way if you don't want all your teeth knocked out of your mouth. It'll be embarrassing. Like every time you tried to take me on." Even her threatening sounded bored.

Eren's eyes flashed yellow and he growled at the female titan. Hanji shot one last time at Annie towards the face and then dashed with all her inhuman speed towards the end of the lab where the rest of Squad Seraphim were. Annie however was much faster than her, and she would have already caught and killed her, were it not for the titan boy throwing himself on her and making her fall to the ground with him. That gave Hanji the chance to get away fast enough. When she reached the rest of her Squad, all were on guard and as titans were slowly approaching, having recently emerged from the tanks.

'Crap, I must have missed something.' Cursed Hanji, but she calmed herself when she saw how slow and mindless they seemed. 'Are these all defects? They're not exhibiting any kind of savage behavior...'

Her thoughts were interrupted when one of them threw himself on tone of the scientists and sank his fangs into her neck. The woman screamed in pain, as the other titans imitated the first one and threw themselves on the humans. The Scouts tried shooting the monsters away but there were too many of them. Hanji quickly saw that they weren't getting rid of them fast enough, and as new ones attacked the scientists, the ones that had been fed turned to them and attacked. The leader quickly looked around for a solution, and spotted small tanks made of stainless steel not far from the water tanks. They were tagged TP-X.

"Listen up Squad! Let's retreat to point C. Follow me!" She ordered.

"But what about them?"

"It's too late for them! Move!" Before they exited, Hanji grabbed one of the small tanks. "Hurry up!" She shouted as the scouts passed one by one in front of her, while she kept the titans at bay with her gun. She threw one last glance to the other side of the room, praying that Eren was alright before shooting one of the bombs that was near the titans. The blast confused them and gave the angel the time to join her squad, still carrying the tank.

She was worried about Eren. She was mortified of what her kids had seen when the titans devoured the humans in front of them. But she didn't have the time to think or let it get to her. The monsters were already after them again. That steel tank she was carrying might very well get rid of this bunch, but it certainly wasn't going to be enough.

"Erwin, we're going to need backup very soon. We have titans after us, and according to the doctor in charge, there are a lot more in the upper levels. Also, Eren is fighting alone right now. I don't know if he can keep it up for very long."

" _Focus on keeping your squad safe for now. Squad Michael will come back you up."_ Replied the Commander. _"Any progress?"_

"I've rendered the lab useless. But they said something about a fresh batch. There are hostages somewhere down here. We'll need Jean and his dogs down here too."

" _Focus on getting rid of your stalkers first. Be careful."_

"Yes, Sir, Commander Eyebrows."

* * *

 **Garage, Level -10, Squad Judgment, Petra's POV**

All of us were quiet, as the captain was staring at his watch. The wait was very honestly insufferable. I didn't think a muscle in my body wasn't tensed. The tik tok of Levi's watch was driving me insane and I had to fight with myself to keep from screaming. Marco had been clear, we had to wait half an hour after Squad Seraphim's departure to enter the Garage. I wanted to dash in there, look in every room, every corner until I found Alec, Myra and Amanda. Where was Tim I wondered? How was he? And the kids? Imagining any of them even near Lucifer made goosebumps appear all over my body.

'Come on. Hurry up you stupid clock!' I thought, cursing time for being this slow.

"Petra." Called out Levi.

I looked up. "Who, me?"

"You know anyone else named Petra here?" He growled. "Stop biting your nails. Your thumb's bleeding. Do you want the titans to smell you from a mile away?" He scolded.

I looked at my hand. A filet of blood was indeed streaming from my thumb to my palm. Now that I thought about it, my mouth did have a weird iron taste. My face twisted in disgust. How had I not notice this? I searched my pocket for a tissue, but then.

"Hum? Can I have it?" Asked Sasha.

"Hey! You already had twice what we got." Complained Connie. "If anyone should take it it's not you."

"But I'm bored..."

"What does that have to do with anything?" I said.

"I get hungry when I'm bored."

"Yeah, well so am I." Said the bald shorty.

"It can't be you either Connie." Said Thomas. "You'd infect her with your saliva. Don't forget that you're a positive."

"All of you, shut up." Said Levi.

He didn't have to shout, all of them instantly became quiet and focused. Despite everything, we hadn't forgotten that we were still in the middle of a final raid. The outcome of it will define the future of the Scouts. And I had a betrayal to carry out as well. I brought my hand to my mouth and cleaned the blood before putting a bandage on it. Then Levi's watch finally beeped. All of us pulled up our masks over our mouths and noses, before entering the subterranean level. Of course, I was the only one of the bunch who couldn't see a damn thing, so Mike was guiding me through the dark hallways. I heard metal clicking from the guns, and the only things I could see were the eyes of the angels in the dark. Sasha's sniffing the air was also noisy.

"Picking up on anything?" Asked Levi.

"Humans. It smells like humans." Replied Sasha.

"Sherlock said the that if there is a security room here, it should probably be closer to the surface, mirroring the one that's meant to watch over the Garage. Let's find the staircase."

We walked through a couple of hallways (at least I assumed as much since I was still blinder than a bat). But all of them suddenly stopped. Like a hunting dog would when he smelled prey.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"People walking this way. Twelve? No fifteen." Said Connie. "And judging from the smell of gun powder residue, human carrying guns."

"Soldiers? Do we engage?" Asked Thomas.

"No. Let's hide for now. It'll be a pain if they find out we're here before we reach the security room." Said Levi.

The sound of a metallic door being opened indicated that we were going to hide in a room, waiting for the soldiers to pass. The sound of their footsteps came and went. We were about to move out when a strange sound coming from behind us caught our attention. Tired of being blind, I turned on the tiny flashlight Levi had given me sometime ago. The room was filled with big wooden boxes of all shapes. Large enough to contain someone. Mike told us to stay back by extending his arm, and approached the piled up boxes. Everyone took their claws out. Mike walked as silently as a cat, stopping in front of each box, listening carefully for what I assumed was breathing. My heart was pounding like a drum in my chest. Levi grabbed my arm and pulled me back a little. I placed my hand in front of my mouth and nose over my mask, fearing that my own breathing was too loud. Mike then suddenly stopped in front of a box piled horizontaly on top of another. Suddenly, with a lightening quick movement, Mike hit part of the box with his claws, practically ripping off an entire side. That action was followed by a high pitched scream and something falling heavily on the ground. All the angels tensed up for a second and I turned my flashlight towards the thing that had fallen … and froze, my mouth dropping open. The silhouette was small and thin, and wearing a pink shirt with butterflies that I knew all too well. It had short straight dark hair and green eyes filled with tears and looked around. With the light in her eyes, all she could discern were the shiny eyes of dark figures surrounding her. She backed up against the wooden box behind her and curled up in a ball, screaming in fear.

"Myra … " I muttered, barely audibly even for the angels.

"GO AWAY! LEAVE ME ALONE!" She shouted, terrified as an endless stream of tears fell out of her eyes.

That sight broke my heart. I only knew Myra for being the happy child of a caring family. A little devil that liked to prank people and who laughed at everything. How could she have turned into this crushed being tortured with fear and anxiety? I ran to her side and fell on my knees in front of her.

"Myra." I said louder than before. "Myra!"

I tried grabbing her arms but she pushed me away, kicking and punching to defend herself. And she kept screaming and crying. "LET ME GO! GO AWAY!"

"Myra! It's me!" I tried telling her, but she kept struggling and pushing me away as if she didn't hear me.

"GO AWAY! MOM!"

Not knowing what else to do, I slapped her as hard as I could. She finally opened her eyes and froze up completely. I pulled my mask down, and placed my hands on each side of her head forcing her to look at me.

"MYRA! IT'S ME!" She panted a little before her eyes found mine. Even when they did, it looked like reality hadn't caught up to her yet. "It's Petra, Mimi! I'm right here!" I said, as I pushed the tears away with my thumbs. "It's me, baby. I'm here. It's okay now."

She stared at me without blinking for what seemed like an eternity to me, until she finally let out with a shaky voice. "Pe...tra?"

I smiled in relief at her. "Hi Mimi. I'm here. I got you. Don't be scared, these guys are my friends." I said as a few tears of relief escaped my eyes. "I'm sorry I took so long."

Her lips quivered and new tears appeared in her eyes. She threw herself on me, throwing her arms around my neck. I shielded her with mine as she sobbed silently on my shoulder, shaking like a leaf. The angels around us were staring at us. But then we heard footsteps running in this direction. Two human soldiers bursted through the door, only to be knocked out by either Levi's foot in the face or being knocked against the wall by Mike's powerful fist. My eyes and the captain's crossed and I mouthed a thank you. He opened his mouth slightly as if to reply, but then turned away and brought his hand to his earpiece.

"Erwin, Sherlock. We have a minor setback."

* * *

 **Sooooo...who wants to see a showdown between Eren and Annie? You know what to do! Keep reading and you'll find out! ;)**

 **PLEASE REVIEW!**


	27. Chapter 27

**Hey guys! I know it's been forever, and again I'm sorry. In this chapter things are heating up even more! Time for our Scouts to start kicking some ass!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Eren's POV**

Just as the female titan was about to cut off Hanji's route and kill her, I threw myself on her, grabbing her around the waist and tackling her to the ground. We both crashed violently on the ground, carried away by our own inhuman speed. I held on to her, digging my claws in her flesh to keep her from escaping while the lieutenant was making a run for it to join the rest of the group. Annie struggled in my grip.

"Let go, you fallen!" She shouted, hitting me in the side with her elbow.

Lucky for me I wasn't in close enough reach for her to really hurt me. That's until she crystallized her arm, and moved with the intention of colliding it as hard as she could with my ribs. I let go and rolled away to avoid it. But that move made my gun escape my holster and slip out of reach. I quickly jumped back on my feet and placed myself in between her and the way the Lieutenant had taken. My fangs stretched out and I hissed at her. No way was she getting through me! She stood back up slowly and threw me that same apathetic look as ever, but with a hint of irritation this time. Her shirt was getting stained by her bleeding sides, she didn't look weakened by it at all. Just annoyed.

"Out of my way." She ordered, with that calm and cold voice of her's.

"Over my dead body!" I spat back.

"That can be arranged." She replied showing off her crystallized arm.

"Yeah, cause Lucifer will definitely pat you on the head when you tell him you killed me."

"You don't stand a chance against me Jeager. It's pointless fighting. Stop being a nuisance and get out of my way. Before I make you."

"Then make me, you brainwashed titan!" I shouted.

She clenched her teeth when she heard the insult and her fangs stretched out as well. Annie threw herself on me, and I barely dodged her powerful claws. I had gone toe-to-toe with her before, when I tried escaping. Her martial arts skills plus her titan strength and speed made her by far the most dangerous of the three. And I'd probably never have been able to dodge her this close if it weren't for that sadist of a captain and Mikasa's training. She'd become so strong and it was probably thanks to him. Even though the Scouts were in a complete mess, he'd taken the time to help me. That's when I really started seeing the difference between Captain Levi and Lucifer. The captain never smiled, but everything he said was honest and straightforward, no matter how harsh it sounded. And Lucifer always had that nasty grin on his face, and manipulated you while making sure you knew he did. Truly, that man was something else. He was another kind of monster, but that monster worked himself to the bone to make sure all the Scouts could get back what had been taken from them. And compared to him, it was almost like Annie was moving in slow motion. But she was still a very skilled fighter, and I was sure that I wasn't anywhere near her level. But pigs would fly before I would let her pass. I dodged most of her attacks by ducking when she tried to get me with her crystal covered arm (she'd bitch slap my head clean off if she hit me) and blocking whenever she tried to kick me or hit me with her left arm.

"Not as good as you think you are, are you?" I taunted as I dodged another right hook from her crystallized arm and sent my knee against her lower ribs, a move the Captain seemed to be fond of. The bruises on my own sides could attest.

She grunted and took a step back. Now was my chance! I ran to her as fast as I could, not giving her the time to react and threw my foot in the air to hit her in the face. But just as it was about to hit, she caught my ankle with her right hand that was now free of any armor.

"You always were too quick to scream victory Jeager. I've learned a few tricks since our last fight." She said calmly. "Like this one!"

I barely had the time to react when she sent her crystallized left leg toward my own face. I raised my arm to protect my head just in time, but when her foot hit my forearm, I felt my bone crack and an extremely painful vibration travelled up to the rest of my arm. I couldn't hold back a scream.

"AAAAH!" I let out as I fell down on one knee, holding my wounded arm.

Annie just stared at me as if she'd just lost all her emotions again. "I'll ask one last time. Stay down. The angels can't win against the titans anyways. It's pointless to fight. There are only a few of us, losing you would be a hassle."

The pain was killing me and making me shake and sweat buckets. But I couldn't help but chuckle at her words.

"What are you laughing at?" She asked.

"Nice speech. Did you steal it from Lucifer? Perfect plagiarism." I said smirking at her. "You're so apathetic, I guess being a puppet really does suit you."

In the space of half a second, anger showed in her eyes again. "I am not brainwashed."

"You and the two others are Lucifer's lapdogs. If he told you to jump off a bridge, you'd probably do it."

"SHUT UP!"

I received her foot in the face this time. It threw me on the ground, and knocked a tooth out of my mouth. The thick red liquid with iron taste invaded my mouth and made me nauseous.

"You don't understand anything." She said to me, as my head was spinning faster than a tornado. "We're no longer human. There's no way the world will accept us as we are. To them we're monsters and nothing else. All he wants is to give us a home."

"That's why he's trying to kill the Scouts right now?"

"They're angels, defects. They were just the prototype to make us. We're the real deal, the five of us. We're the ones that matter. They want to bow to humans and that's what makes them weak."

Did she even realize what she was saying? I knew that pain could turn anyone insane, I was well placed to know that. Having my mom killed right under my eyes and my own dad's formula used on me for ten years had made me wish I was dead more times than I could count. And if Petra hadn't found me when she was snooping around, there was no way I would have found Mikasa and Armin. That alone was a miracle. But that was too much. Once again, the Captain had been right.

" _The problem is that when you get too much power, others reject you and you have two easy escape routes. The first is to run away. The second is to become so self-centered that you believe that you're invincible. They don't see humans as equals anymore. That's probably what's going on in your fellow lucid titans head."_

Lucifer had the three of them wrapped around his little finger. Trying to reason with her was useless. She'd gone too far to turn back on what she'd done. I sniffed the air, trying to ignore the horrible pain in my arm. Hanji and the others were gone, but I could smell human blood. But not angels.

'Good, they made it out.'

I spat the blood out of my mouth. "If angels are defects, then so is Lucifer. He's not a titan. He the copy of a defect."

"I told you to shut up!" She kicked me in the solar plexus sending me back again.

"I don't care about your twisted faith in that bastard." I said as I stood up, trying to move my arm as little as possible. "If me delaying you gives them so much a one more second to get to Dok and Woerman, then I'll do it until my entire body breaks!"

She closed her eyes and sighed loudly before stepping closer to me again and kicking me in the stomach, knocking me on the ground again, and then harshly stepping on my ankle. I screamed in pain again. She then kneeled on my torso, putting all her weight on it and wrapped a hand around my throat. "Then break." She said.

She squeezed my neck and started to suffocate me. I tried to struggle but my head was still spinning like hell and any movement I made with my arm was torture. As my brain started lacking oxygen, my vision started getting blurry.

'Damn it!' I cursed inside. 'She's so strong...'

POW!

Annie suddenly grunted when the bullet hit her in the shoulder and forced her to step back. Her arm crystallized again and she protected her face and upper body from the next six bullets that were fired.

"EREN!" Shouted a very familiar voice.

"Mikasa?" I said, as she ran to my side and helped me up. "Why are you alone?"

"I went ahead. Armin told me that you were in danger." She quickly explained before throwing a death glare at Annie and raised her gun towards her.

"You're gonna pay for that, titan!" She threatened. "Eld and the rest are not far behind me."

The blond girl didn't respond but brought her armored arm up again to protect her face and upper body. But when my foster sister pulled the trigger, only a CLICK sound was heard.

"Shoot!" She cursed. "Out of ammo."

Not wasting a second, Mikasa tossed her empty gun aside and ran towards Annie at full speed. The titan seemed as surprised as I was when she raised her arm just in time to block the angel's right hook aimed at her head. Mikasa didn't wait for her to recover from the shock and grabbed her by the shoulders before throwing her knee in Annie's stomach. The hit seemed to have some effect, because the titan's breath got cut off for a second.

'Amazing!' I thought, admiring her reaction time and precision. 'She's so skilled.'

I clenched my teeth and cursed myself for my carelessness and getting injured. I forced myself to balance my weight evenly on my legs, and did my best to ignore the pain in my arm and ankle. Annie then found an opening and raised her fist. Just like me before, Mikasa raised her own arm to block the hit … I realized what was going to happen.

"MIKASA! DODGE!" I shouted.

Thank heaven for her inhuman reaction time and speed. She lowered her back, dodging the punch of Annie's now crystallized arm by half-an-inch. The Asian girl jumped back a couple of feet and kept her guard up and her eyes on the titan while speaking to me. She made sure to always be between me and the blond girl.

"What was that?" She asked.

"Be careful. She can crystallize any of her limbs and her entire back too." I quickly explained. "If she hits you with full force with that, something is gonna break."

And again, she'd gone easy on me because she wasn't suppose to kill me. I looked around for something I could do.

'Come on Eren, think! Her crystal is unbreakable and she can switch it from one limb to another in one second if not less! Wait. Switch? That's it!'

That's when I spotted my gun. And then the giant tanks filled with blueish liquid. They were big so the pressure was probably very strong. I picked up my gun and shot the three tanks near us. The glass cracked under the pressure and the water bursted out of the tanks making both girls jump back, Mikasa next to me, and Annie on the other side of the powerful stream.

"Mikasa, I have an idea!" I told her.

The stream only lasted a few seconds, but that was plenty for me to explain my idea to the angel. The second Annie was in sight again, Mikasa threw herself on her, even fatser than before. Hitting, kicking, punching, slashing without a moment to breath, never leaving the titan a second to focus. But Annie, too good of a fighter to be thrown off by this, focused, blocked and dodged, waiting for the perfect opening. But Mikasa was also an excellent fighter and finding a fault in her stance or movements was a difficult task. Only a true adept like the Captain could easily overpower her. It didn't matter than Annie had more physical strength and speed. The training Mikasa had received could keep her safe for a couple of minutes. And that was all we needed. Without the titan realizing it, Mikasa let her push her back towards the tank where I was hiding. I clenched the fist of my cracked arm, trying to get used to the pain. I was crouching down, and claws out, ready to jump.

'Come on.' I told my wounded body. 'Work with me just this once."

When they were finally close enough, Mikasa maneuvered around Annie, so the titan would have her back turned to me. Then, preparing for a left hook, Mikasa left her left side wide open which of course the female titan didn't miss. The blonde raised her right fist and went for a low hit to the ribs. On the way, her arm crystallized. If she hit Mikasa with this, the Asian girl's entire rib cage would shatter. That's when I jumped out of my hiding spot, pushing myself as fast as I could, torturing my wounded ankle with all my weight. I ended up right behind the titan and slashed deep in the flesh behind her calf, tearing her ligaments.

"AAAAHHH!"

Her scream accompanied my grunt, as that physical effort made the crack in my arm widened some more. I fell to my knees at the same time as her, biting my lips to suppress the pain. Mikasa took out her own claws and slashed Annie throat without a moment's hesitation. The titan fell face first in a pool of her own blood. The angel panted as sweat dripped down her face. She'd really given everything. I couldn't help but grin pridefully at my foster sister.

"Nice work." I said, before grunting in pain again.

Mikasa knelt down next to me and started bandaging my ankle to stabilize by foot. "Not bad yourself. I'm impressed that you noticed that she could only protect one limb at the time."

"Hey what's that suppose to mean?" I said, frowning.

"Well, I don't remember you ever being particularly observant. Or using your head. That's Armin's thing." She said, as a small smile appeared on her face.

We both chuckled. Man, it was so good to have her and Armin back. It looked like I really owed Petra for that too. My foster sister made a splint out of stuff she found in the lab to keep me from moving my cracked arm.

"There. This should hold until we get you to Rico." She said, before helping me up, and passing my good arm around her shoulders to help me walk. But just as we began making our way to the exit …

PSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHH!

A loud vaporizing sound coming from behind us made us turn around. Annie's body seemed to be creating some sort of thick steam that was spreading around.

"What's going on?" Said Mikasa.

That's when we heard a low growl coming from the middle of the mist. Both our eyes widened in fright and shock. Annie's body was moving. It was slowly standing up, and all we could do was stare completely paralyzed, mouth hanging open. What the hell was going on? The mist then slowly dissipated, clearing the view. My heart was beating like crazy and I could feel my legs shake. Annie had her back turned to us. She suddenly raised her head up and screamed. It wasn't a human scream. It was like a roar, but no animal in the world could make that sound. So loud that we had to cover our ears. Suddenly, her entire skin got covered by her crystal armor. She turned around slowly to face us.

I knew those eyes. Those dry eyes that betrayed the insatiable thirst and emptiness inside. I'd seen them a hundred times, in the eyes of the newly awakened titans, that had forgotten they were once humans and that strived for nothing other than blood.

* * *

 **Petra's POV**

While Levi talked to the commander, I kept a tight hold on the eleven year old. She was still in her pajamas. She was probably wearing those when she got kidnapped. Her hands and feet were pretty cold too. Sasha knelt down next to us, bringing me the torchlight I brought. Myra looked at her and the glutton smiled back.

"Hi there! I'm Sasha, nice to meet you."

I felt Myra tense up when she saw the girl's glowing eyes getting closer. I rubbed her back and assured her one more time that Sasha was a friend.

"Hi." She replied after a little while. "I'm Myra Kiler."

"I know. Petra talks about you a lot." Said Sasha.

Thank heaven someone lightened the mood. I was glad she was here. The more warm hearted the atmosphere got, the faster would my foster sister calm down. I let her go so I could look her in the eyes.

"Mimi, I need you to answer some questions. Do you feel up to that?" I asked.

I heard Levi growl behind us. He would have already started an interrogation, and I knew the clock was ticking. But Myra could give us some real information. Her breathing was still a little too fast but after a few seconds she nodded.

"How did you get here?"

Her voice shook when she spoke. "They locked us up in a dark room... There was blood on the walls..."

"Were your mom and Alec there?"

"Yeah. But they weren't waking up..." She started sobbing again. "I tried to wake them up... I tried..."

My heart tightened in my chest in fear. She couldn't mean... "Then what happened?" I urged her to continue.

"Mom woke up but she couldn't move. She told me to run away, to go get dad." She sobbed some more, but kept talking. "I didn't want to... but I was scared. And I left them there..."

I let out a sigh of relief before pulling her against me again. "Mimi, do you remember taking an elevator or stairs?"

She shook her head instead of replying and I knew it was already too much. I tightened my hold on her a little more, to tell her she was safe now and that the nightmare was over. All of this crap was way too much to handle for an eleven year old. I barely held it together myself, so I couldn't imagine how it was for her.

"Petra we have to move." Said Levi. "We can't take her with us. She'll slow us down."

"We're not leaving her here. You go on ahead. I'll bring her back to the commander outside and then find you."

"Out of the question." Immediately shot down the angel. "I'm not letting you out of my sight. Not with the morphochlorine still in your system. One bite from a positive and it's over."

"We can't leave her here!" I repeated, louder.

"We can take her." Said Sasha, earning herself the attention of the room. "Connie and I can take her back to the Navigators outside and then we can join either you or the other squads, depending on where we're most needed."

Levi frowned. That was the best thing to do for Myra and that way, the angel captain could keep an eye on me like he wanted. But it would also mean loosing two great assets to our team. Connie and Sasha were extremely skilled fighters, and if we got attacked without them around it would be a lot harder to escape unscathed. But we couldn't keep Myra here any longer, otherwise she would break. I turned to Levi, my face probably showing desperation and worry.

"Levi, please?" I begged, looking at the only part of him I could see clearly in the dark.

His eyes were unreadable as he stared back at me. I never blinked, fearing it might affect his decision. The steel grey eyes then looked at the kid in my arms for a while. Myra was staring back but her eyes were red and tired from all her crying and fear she'd felt. It was like she was taking a very long time to process the fact that he was staring at her. He then sighed and once again searched one of the pockets of his jacket to take out what looked like a very small sprayer and handed it to me.

"It's sleeping gas." He explained. "It'll be easier for them. And make it quick kid, we've lost enough time."

I nodded, thanking God on the inside. I made Myra let go of me held her by the shoulder looking at her. "Mimi listen." I showed her the sprayer. "This is going to make you go to sleep for a little while. And when you wake up, you'll be with my friends. Marco will be there too."

"Where are you going?" She asked interrupting me, and I saw the panic grow in her eyes one more time.

"Mimi, listen to me." I said calmly. "When you wake up, your Mom and Dad will be there. So will Alec and so will I. It'll be all over and we'll be together. And we'll go home. The five of us okay? I promise."

She sniffled and bit her lower lip, as if trying to calm herself. But then she looked at me straight in the eyes, with tears but also a determined look and she nodded. I smiled. There was still a bit of bravery left in her and she'd managed to find it. I kissed her forehead before bringing the sprayer up to her face.

"You're so brave. See you soon Mimi." I said, before spraying the sleeping gas on her face.

She let out a long sigh as the gas quickly took effect and she fell asleep instantly, falling forward in my arms. I stroke her hair one last time before Sasha took her from my arms and turned to Connie.

"You're faster than me. You run and I clear the way." She said.

The bald angel nodded in agreement and took my foster sister on his back. The brunette turned to face me again and grabbed my hands.

"We'll keep her safe. I promise."

"Thank you. I trust you guys."

"Enough chitchat, brats." Said Levi, irritated by the wasted time. "Get going you two. And don't engage in a fight if you meet them."

"Yes, Captain."

Mike checked that no one was out in the hallway before nodding at the short angel in charge. Sasha went ahead quickly followed by Connie and Myra. It was too far for me to see anything without my flashlight, but Levi and Mike kept their eyes on them until they disappeared. Levi then grabbed my hand and once again I was being pulled in the dark. I kept my flashlight on this time though, tired of being completely blind. We finally found the stair case and proceeded to climb all the way up to level -8, in other words the first clandestine floor.

"Sherlock." I heard Levi say. "Give me a status on all the squads."

" _Squad Seraphim is retreating towards the sewers. Lieutenant Hanji has a plan to get rid of the group of titans that's chasing them. Squad Michael is on it's way to help them to the lab. Mikasa went off on her own to help Eren who's currently fighting the female titan. Squads Gabriel and Raphael are still on standby."_

"What about the princess and horse-face?" Asked the Scout's Captain, as we kept racing through the hallways as fast and quietly as we could. I was practically being dragged by him, since my little flashlight was not bright enough to light more than a couple meters in front of me.

" _They're both in the castle, waiting for instructions too. Krista says that the Special Forces are all over the place."_

"Tell her them to keep an eyes on Aust and Zackley if they can." Ordered the Captain. "If Dok and Woerman are in the Castle, then they'll be with them."

" _Yes Sir."_

"Also tell me when Sasha and Connie get to you. "

We kept running silently until we reached a door. Beyond it was suppose to be the last hallway before we reached the security room. Levi pushed the door open, and suddenly there was enough light for me to see clearly without needing my torchlight anymore. But once we all stepped in, I froze in surprise. That wasn't a hallway on the other side. It was a giant underground cave, just like the one I'd found with Eren the first time I escaped this place.

"Right, I forgot that we're near the undergrounds that were used for slave towns. It's no wonder the Garage would lead to some of these caves."

"Now's not the time for tourism, kid." Scolded Levi. "Let's move."

A metal bridge let to the other side of the cave while just like before, a powerful stream was passing under it. And just like before, it was the stuff you didn't want to fall in. Plus there was a good twenty meters drop and it was too dark to see the water. Hearing it was no problem though, with the echo of the canyon-like cave. Levi led the way on the bridge followed closely by Thomas, Mike and I.

"If Sherlock's right, the security room is on the other side." Said the short angel, turning to me. "He's almost always right, correct?"

I didn't realize he was talking to me. I was too focused on Alec and Amanda. A thousand questions were invading my mind. Where were they? Why was Myra the only one who could escape? Was it another trick from Lucifer? Did they know we were here? If so why weren't they sending titans after us? What if something went wrong? What if we didn't plan things well enough? What if … ?

"Petra."

"Uh, yes?" I said a little too late.

A gloved hand grabbed my chin and made me look into the eyes of the Scout's Captain. His steel grey eyes were glaring at me as sharp as ever. It sent shivers down my spine. The expression on his face seemed like a mixture of seriousness and reproachfulness. I stared back, a little dumbfounded and confused.

"W-what is it?"

"Focus."

One word. That was all it took. One word from him silenced all of those questions that tortured my mind. And I remembered what I needed to do first. Hack into the security system of the Garage and give access to the Navigators. I nodded at the angel who let me go before going on ahead on the bridge. But Mike suddenly raised his head, and placed a hand on Levi's shoulder, stopping him in his track. The three of us froze and looked at the tall angel who pointed at the end of the bridge with a movement of the chin. After a couple of seconds, even I could hear the footsteps coming towards us from the other end of the bridge. Thomas and Mike got on guard while Levi's eyes frowned. I knew for sure they were enemies. They finally got close enough for me to see them clearly.

"Reiner and Bertolt." I muttered.

"You're not getting through us." Said the blond gorilla. "It's over for you."

Levi kept his death glare on them without moving, making them visibly uneasy. "Step out of our way, or pay the price." He replied unfazed by their threat.

At those words, Reiner removed his jacket and tossed it aside, leaving him only in his tank-top. He took a deep breath, and it suddenly looked like his skin turned darker and … harder. Like he had an armor of rocks protecting his arms, torso and shoulders. Like a protective body armor. And I was ready to bet anything that it could protect him from bullets. As for Bertolt, all of his muscles contracted before his body suddenly grew in size, ripping his shirt. He who originally looked tall and slender was now the size of Hercules and even taller. Bertolt took a deep breath and when he exhaled, a thick white steam came out. Some of it made contact with the metal railing of the bridge, some of it started melting. Add there claws and fangs to it, and we had two very dangerous titans in front of us. I wanted to step back but I was paralyzed, my legs shaking like a newborn foal's. Sweat was streaming down my face. Lucifer was right : these guys were real monsters. Unlike me though, Levi didn't move an inch.

'How can you be so calm?' I thought. My heart was beating so fast, I thought they could all hear it. Levi spoke without turning around, his voice low enough so that only we would hear.

"Thomas, get Petra to that room. Lock yourselves in until Mike or me comes to get you. Got it?"

"Yes Captain." Answered the angel.

Levi threw a glance at Mike who once more, simply nodded instead of replying. Before I could even say anything, the angel Captain dashed forward, straight to the tallest titan. Bertolt seemed too shocked to react fast enough. Before he could do anything, the angel sent his foot flying in his stomach. Blood spilled out and I noticed the shiny blade at the tip of the Captain's shoe. The colossal titan brought his hand to his stomach, bending his body and therefore his head. That was what the angel was waiting for. Spinning on his leg, he once more sent his foot flying through the air. It hit the titan in the head so violently that he was thrown against the railing and fell over it. My heart skipped a beat. Levi seemed so small next to that monster. Just how strong was he? But what he did next almost made me have a heart attack. The angel Captain grabbed on to the railing and jumped in after the monster.

"LEVI!" I screamed as they fell down the twenty meter drop and into the water.

I didn't get the time to ascertain that they had even survive, Thomas grabbed me by the arm and pulled me behind him. While we dashed down the bridge, Mike took out his gun and shot repeatedly at Reiner who raised his armored arms up to protect his face. We ran passed him. I didn't get time to reflect on everything as the blond angel was dragging me behind him. We reached the door of the security room which Thomas kicked open. He threw me in and then locked the door. I panted and waited for my heart to settle down a little.

"You okay?" Asked the angel.

"I am. But what about Levi?"

"Don't worry." He said, while trying to give me a reassuring smile. "The Captain wouldn't just do something like that and die."

I nodded as I tried to convince myself. Levi was Levi. He was fine, he had to be. If not the mission would be a huge fail. And he would never throw that away. I dragged myself to the seat of the control bored and took out the USB key on which I had downloaded a copy of a worm that would give me easier access to the system.

'Focus Petra!' I ordered myself. 'Hack in and get Marco access.'

I still prayed for Levi and Mike's safety, while manipulating the key boards.

* * *

 **I hope you liked it! PLEASE REVIEW!**

 **I WISH YOU ALL A HAPPY NEW YEAR!**


	28. Chapter 28

**Hi guys, it's been a while. And yet again, I apologize for the tardiness. I've had a difficult month of January. But as I always say, I don't intend to give up this story.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Garage, Level -8**

I typed in the hacking codes while disabling the defense protocol. These firewalls were incredibly tough to crack. No wonder, this was a copy of the Castle's security system. My list of criminal activities was seriously not getting shorter. My mind entered the world of high tech, canceling out all my worries and my anxiety. Right now I only had two things to focus on. The first was getting into this damn system and give the Navigators access. I finally bypassed all the firewalls and ended up with complete access to the Garage's security system without turning on any alarms.

"Yes!" I let out, proud of my victory.

I glanced at Thomas to make sure he wasn't looking this way. Fortunately, he was keeping an eye on the door, gun in hand. I took the SpyBug out of my jacket and connected it to the system. I then matched the system to our frequency.

"Navigators, do you read me?" I asked into one of the microphones, as I placed the SpyBug back in my jacket. "Squad Judgement here, Navigators do you read me?"

" _Navigators here."_ Replied the voice of my favorite detective after a few seconds of silence. _"I can read you fine Judgement. Good job."_

"Did I manage to give you access?"

" _Yep. We're in the system and they don't even know it. Awesome work, ginger."_

"And Sherlock?" I said. "Are you sure you have ALL that you need?"

He stayed quiet for a couple of seconds and all I heard was the sound of someone typing on a keyboard. _"Everything. It's perfect."_

" _Petra, where are you right now?"_ Asked the voice of the Commander this time.

"On level -8. The first clandestine floor."

" _Where is Levi? He's not answering his radio."_

"He's fighting one of the abnormal titans." I explained. "He told us to stay put until he comes get us. Have Sasha and Connie reach you yet?"

" _No not yet."_

"I see." I shook my head. I had to have faith. They would protect Myra with their lives if they had to. I was praying it wouldn't come to that. "When we get out of here, we won't have any way to communicate with you anymore. Not until we reach Levi."

That wasn't true though. I could communicate with Marco, Ymir, Jean and Krista but we couldn't tell them that. We had to rejoin with Levi and his radio.

"How are the other squads doing?" Asked Thomas, joining me in front of the control board.

" _Seraphim is setting a trap for the Titans that are after them in the sewers, Squad Gabriel was sent to assist them. Squad Michael are on their way to help Eren and Mikasa against the female Titan. And Squad Raphael is still on standby."_

"What about Jean and Krista?" I asked.

" _They're still keeping an eye on the movement of the Special Forces. I don't think we have much time before ..."_

At that precise moment, a horrible gut wrenching scream made both me and Thomas nearly jump out of our skin. No doubt about it, it was Mike screaming and to make him of all people let out such a terrifying sound, he must've been in unbearable pain. I forgot about Marco and ran towards the door, but Thomas grabbed me around the waist to stop me.

"Petra, don't!"

"But he's in trouble!"

"We have to follow the Captain's orders." Said the blondie, still unable to contain his own worry on his face. "I know it's hard but..."

"Use your brain Thomas!" I shouted. "If that monster kills him, he'll be coming after us next! If Mike can't take him alone, then neither of us can! In every scenario, we have a better chance at beating him with the three of us!"

After hearing my words, the angel made a surprised face and hesitated. But another gut wrenching scream from the other side of the door made him let go of me. We pushed the door open and raced back outside to the bridge only to freeze in terror when we saw them. The titan with the bone like armor didn't have a scratch on him but blood stains all over. He was standing there, staring down at Mike. The tall angel was down on one knee, panting and sweating like hell. His right ankle seemed to be unnaturally twisted... and his right arm had been ripped off. An ocean of blood was dripping down, staining his clothes and making a big puddle on the ground. I felt something turn in my stomach. If anything had been in there I would've puked. I was petrified. Mike's eyes fell on us.

"WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING?!" Shouted the usually so quiet angel. "GO BA..."

A powerful punch to the face sent him right back down, bludgeoning his face. Thomas took out his gun and fired a couple of shots at the monster. Reiner didn't even move as none of the bullets seemed to be capable of piercing his armor.

"It's pointless." He said. "None of you angels is strong enough to beat me. I'm impressed he could put up a fight. Stay still and I won't make it painful."

My legs started shaking and I suddenly regretted bursting out here. Every muscle in my body was tense and I found myself incapable of any sort of movement. The fear was like a physical force that was binding me and wouldn't let me do anything. What could I do against a monster like him? And my brain seemed to have stopped functioning. I could even scold myself for not being able to think. I felt so sick and powerless, I thought the ground under my feet was going to crumble. I blinked once, and then Reiner was right in front of me. I didn't even have time to scream. He raised his armored arm in the air, claws out. I shut my eyes as he slashed through the air. I felt nothing... but a painful grunt made me open my eyes again. My heart almost stopped. Thomas was standing in fron of me, Reiner's claws sunken in his stomach.

"THOMAS!" I shouted.

"You're … not touching her..." Spat the blond angel, along with blood.

"You're an idiot." Simply replied the titan, eying him with a pitiful glare. "I'm not aloud to hurt her, Lucifer wants her unarmed. You on the other hand..."

He contracted his hand, making Thomas scream out in pain again. But the angel took out his own claws and wrapped his arm around the titan's. "I may not be as strong as you..." He let out in between two heavy breaths. "But I can at least do this."

I was about to beg him to let go but at this very moment, Mike who'd somehow managed to move in his condition, wrapped his remaining arm around the titan's neck. One of the only parts of him where the armor seemed thinner.

"Even a titan needs to breath!" He said with a chocked voice.

Mike tightened his grip around Reiner's neck, like a python would around his prey to choke it. As the oxygen didn't flow in anymore, the titan opened his mouth in hopes of getting some. When he realized he couldn't he raised his free hand and reached behind his back to grabbed Mike's head. The angel wouldn't be able to hold on for long. But despite having claws digging in his skull, the tall angel looked at me.

"Hurry..." He said.

His eyes then travelled to Thomas's gun that the shorter angel had dropped on the floor. My own consciousness was not fast enough to follow my brain and my body. I picked up the gun, ran up the the monster and shoved the barrel of the firearm in his opened mouth before pulling the trigger. Reiner froze completely, his grip loosening, finally freeing Mike's head and Thomas's gut. The monster fell on his back, dead as he hit the ground. But so did the two angels. Thomas fell on all four and breathed heavily, holding his bleeding stomach. And Mike fell on his side completely immobile. I ran to the lieutenant's side.

"Mike!"

I knelt down beside him. His face was pale and I could barely see his chest rise from his breathing. I pressed my hands on his heavily bleeding armless shoulder to stop the hemorrhage. But no matter how much I pressed, rivers of blood were still dripping through my fingers.

"No, no, no, no!" I muttered. "What do I do?"

"Take care... of the Captain..." His voice was barely audible.

When I looked at him, his eyes were on me, and a small smile had stretched across his face. But the light in his eyes was gone. His soul had already left his body. I brought my to my mouth, and tears of horror fell out of my eyes.

"No..."

I turned to Thomas who was on the ground, panting like a thirsty dog. I joined him and made him sit against the railing. I pulled him out of his jacket and his shirt. My hands started shaking when I saw how deep the claws marks were.

"Medical band..." He said, still clenching his teeth. "Left chest pocket..."

I quickly searched his jacket until I found it. Along with the band, was a small plastic phial with transparent liquid inside. Thomas grabbed it from my hand.

"Lend me your gloved..."

I gave it to him and he put it in his mouth, before pouring the content of the phial on his stomach. It was probably pure alcohol. I could tell he was in horrible pain. It took about a minute for him to finally relax a little. I started wrapping the band around his waist like Hanji had taught me.

"Is this alright?" I asked with a trembling voice. "Not too tight?"

"It's enough, thanks." He took a couple of deep breaths before looking at me and speaking again. "Petra. Go look for the Captain."

"What? No way, I'm not leaving you here!" I almost shouted.

"Petra..."

"I SAID NO, THOMAS!" I cried out as more tears escaped my eyes.

"Listen to me, I can hear them!" He said and I knew he was referring to titans. "They'll be here soon. I can't protect you in this state. You have to find Captain Levi. He might need your help too fighting that thing. If something happens to him, then everything will have been for nothing! You can't let it end here! "

"But you'll die..."

"I'll be fine." He said, forcing himself to smile.

What an obvious and disgusting lie. I looked at him with a face disfigured by confusion and sadness. He suddenly looked up towards the door that led to the canyon.

"They're coming. Go! NOW!" He said brutally pushing me away.

I clenched my teeth and placed his gun in his hand. I whispered a 'don't die' before running back to the other side of the bridge, leaving the bleeding angel behind. I cursed myself for it, and ran at full speed to the other side and then along the precipice, following the current. Just how big was this underground canyon? This was stupid. The fastest way to find them was for me to jump in the water myself. But just the sound of the current was enough to make me fear for my life. I kept running as I thought if I jump or not, because I hadn't forgotten that there was a hoard of titans about to swarm this place. I kept running as fast as I could. The fear was making me ignore my aching muscles. I stopped when I ran out of breath and inhaled deeply trying to catch my breath. I realized that I could see the water now... it was like the further I went, the closer to the water level the edge was getting. I leaned over and looked around. I spotted something that looked like a black piece of fabric stuck to a rock. I took a deep breath...

"LEVI!" I shouted.

My voice echoed in the canyon a couple of times and I waited. And waited. And waited some more. When I got no answer, I stood up and kept jogging along the edge, looking around and calling out his name. Until, about five hundred meters later, I saw something black climbing up the side of the precipice. I recognized him immediately, and huge weight got lifted off my shoulder.

"Levi!" I called out.

He looked up and saw me. And my heart almost stopped, he had scratch marks everywhere, his uniform was torn in more than one place, and it was clearly the work of claw marks. He looked exhausted and was breathing heavily.

"Are you alright?"

"I'll live." He growled back as he kept pushing himself up, digging his claws in the stone.

When he was close enough, I grabbed the back of his jacket and pulled him up with all my strength until he was back on the edge with me. He stayed on all four for a while catching his breath while I sat beside him and unconsciously matched my breathing to his.

"Are you okay?" I said putting a hand on his back, only to have him flinch in pain. I took back my hand and it was covered in red. "You...you're bleeding so much."

"Don't sweat it." He said. "I'll be fine. What happened up there?"

It took me a moment to be able to say. "Reiner's dead... but Mike..."

He looked at me with serious eyes for a while. I could help but let out two more tears. But I quickly wiped them away. " Thomas is seriously injured. And he said titans were coming this way."

At that precise moment, he looked behind me and his eyes widened. "Get up!" He ordered, grabbing my arm and pulling me up to my feet. I turned around to see a bunch of titans heading our way at full speed, roaring like hungry beasts. It was hard to believe that these monsters had ever been human. Fangs and claws out, they seemed to have been fighting amongst themselves as well, as they had claw and bite marks everywhere. The angel captain placed himself in front of me and was slowly pushing me back as the monsters were getting closer.

"Levi, you're too injured!" I said. "You can't fight them!"

"Jump." He ordered.

"What?"

"JUMP!"

Jump? Was he serious? I threw a look at the raging waters down the cliff. It wasn't as high as at the bridge but there was still a good eight meters to go. I wasn't a bad swimmer, but how the hell was I suppose to swim in that? Finding that I wasn't obeying fast enough, the angel kicked me in the back pushing me over the edge. I screamed in surprise and fell through the air until I hit the freezing water. Just the shock of falling in disoriented me. Jumping from that high, the water might as well have been a hand because I felt like someone just bitch slapped me all over. It took a few agonizing and oxygen-less seconds to find the way to the surface. Once I did I took a deep breath, but the current was dragging me away like it would have a leaf. And with the water constantly submerging me, I managed to have air one out of two breaths, but I couldn't see where the current was taking me. I thought I was going to drown, when I heard his voice.

"PETRA!" He shouted over the sound of the running water. "CATCH!"

He tossed me something that seemed to be the wired ropes he'd used to get me and Nanaba to the Sanctuary. Without really seeing anything with all the water in my eyes, I simply reached out to have the rope wrapping itself around my forearm. Levi dug his claws on the rocks and grunted painfully until he stopped he pulled himself out of the water, and climbed onto one of the rare rocks that had it's surface above the water. From there he pulled on the rope to bring me to him. It helped keep my head above water, but the wire was practically tearing my skin even through my uniform. Thank heaven it wasn't my stitched up arm. I clenched my teeth until the angel got a firm grip on my arm and pulled me up with him. The rock was too small for us both to be comfortably standing. I ended up squashing against his chest, panting for air. I was freezing and my legs were shaking so much I thought I was going to fall. I coughed loudly a couple of times, clearing my throat. I started slipping, but his arm snaked around my waist supporting me. It was so cold. The only bit of warmth I was getting was from being stuck against his chest. I looked up the cliff.

"It's too steep..." I said, knowing we couldn't climb it. At least I couldn't and I certainly didn't want him to try, not with his injuries. One thing that surprised me though, was that I couldn't see the titans. I was sure they would follow us even with the current. I looked at Levi, the angel Captain had his eyes fixated on the edge of the cliff as well. Maybe he was looking for a way out other than jumping in the water again. I was really hoping it wouldn't come to that, I felt so weak that I would probably drown if we did. And I was desperately trying to avoid thinking about Thomas.

"Where is your radio?" I asked Levi to distract myself.

"It broke when I fought that freak." He said, still looking around. "Don't ask stupid questions."

I lowered my head and pressed my forehead against his chest. "Sorry."

"We have to jump back in." He concluded after a couple of heavy breaths.

"What?"

He didn't reply. Instead he let me go and proceeded to wrap the rope on what seemed like a solid part of the cliff. After pulling on it to make sure it was safe, he jumped back in the water holding on to the rope.

"Stay here. I'll come back if I see a safe place to leave the stream. If not, we'll have to climb."

"Be careful." I said.

He let the stream leader him further and further until he disappeared from my sight. But as long as the rope was tight, I knew he was at the end of it still holding on. I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to warm up a little but goose bumps appeared all over my skin. I focused on the rope though. After a couple of minutes it suddenly stopped moving all together despite the fact that the stream was a s violent as before. I thought I heard his voice calling for me but it was covered by the sound of the water so I couldn't discern what it said. Still, I didn't hesitate and jumped back in, holding on to the rope and followed it.

'Thank heaven Hanji made it this long.' I thought.

After a turn, I realized that there was a small waterfall and the rope was going over it. I got as close as I could and looked down. After the fall, the water seemed to be much calmer, like finally reaching a lake. Only in the middle of a giant underground canyon.

"Petra!" Called out Levi.

He was standing on the side of the fall and it looked like there was safe way to get down. I kept going following the rope and hanging on tight since the slightest wrong move would have me falling down with the water. When I was in reaching distance, the angel grabbed me by the arm and pulled me on the rocks with me.

"Are you alright?"

"I should be asking that." I said eying his wounds again.

"I'm fine, don't sweat it. Look down there."

I did as I was told and searched the place with my eyes, until I spotted it. "A door? It's just like the one we took to enter the canyon..."

"Let's go." He ordered.

* * *

 **Navigators**

"We've lost contact with Squad Judgment. The Captain's radio must have been a damage." Said Marco, biting his thumbnail.

"Damn it." Let out the usually polite Commander. "Armin, any suggestions?"

The blondie looked at his feet for a couple of seconds before replying. "We believe. That's all we can do." He said with a determined glare. "We have faith in the Captain. He'll get his part of the job done. Petra already gave us access to the security system, all we can do is play our part and get rid of the titans."

A small smile stretched on Erwin's face. "Good answer. You're absolutely right, Armin. Nicolas, get a hold Hanji, see if she can tell us how her trap is going. Armin, try to contact Eld and give me a status on Eren. Marco, get in touch with Krista and Jean. I want to know what the special forces are up to and where Dok and Woerman are."

"YES SIR!" They all replied in unison.

Marco discreetly took out his SpyBug from under his chest and sent morse coded vibration, while at the same time contacting his friends in the Castle.

"Krista, do you read me?"

" _Yeah, we have a problem. Apparently Dok and Woerman left a while ago, they're probably back in the sub-garage now."_

"Good. The Captain will find them easily now." He commented. "What's the bad news?"

" _The Special forces are heading down there too."_

* * *

 **Unknown location**

"Where do you think we are?" I asked as he guided me through the dark hallways.

"Judging by how far and low the current took us, I'd say we're at least on level -10. Maybe -11 even." He said.

-11? That meant we had to go back up three floors. Not to mention we had to find another way to locate Dok and Woerman. I suddenly lost sensation in my leg and fell on my knees. I didn't even feel the pain. But my whole body was shuddering and I was gradually loosing sensation everywhere. I let go of Levi's hand and wrapped my arms around myself.

"What's wrong?" Asked the angel, who was probably kneeling in front of me. "Are you hurt?"

"I can't feel my legs." My teeth chattered. "Levi, I'm freezing..."

It was strange. Even though my body was going numb, I could swear that I felt a horrible sensation in my stomach, like a burn. Maybe it was fear, finally taking physical form. He stayed quiet for a while, so I looked up. All I could see were his yellow irises, glowing in the dark. I suddenly tensed up when I felt his hands touching me on the neck and then grabbing the front of my jacket. When I realized what he was doing, I reflexively pushed him away and crossed my arms on my chest holding my halfway unbuttoned jacket.

"W-what are you doing?!" I exclaimed, while I felt the blood rush to my face.

"If you don't take off your wet jacket, you're gonna freeze to death. I'm sorry, I forgot you can't stand the cold like we do." He stood back up. "Stay here."

"Where are you going?" I said, reflexively grabbing the bottom of his jacket.

Something (probably his hand) gently stroke mine briefly. "I'll be right back."

The instant I loosened my grip, I heard his footsteps running away quickly. I did what I was told and took off my wet and freezing jacket, making sure to take back my SpyBug. I felt myself blush again when I thought about the angel nearly undressing me. There was something strange about that. He was acting the same, but I couldn't feel the irritation from before. His focus was intact though. I sat up against the wall and hugged myself. It was so dark and so quiet. I closed my eyes. I was scared. Where were Amanda and Alec? And what about Tim? My SpyBug suddenly vibrated in my hand. I instantly recognized morse code. Marco had made all five of us learn it by heart for a game a couple of years ago, and it'd become our way of communicating in class.

"P-E-T-R-A. A-R-E. Y-O-U. S-A-F-E?" I muttered translated.

It was probably Marco. I was so glad I installed a simple communication system. I quickly replied, pressing on the tiny device.

I-AM. S-O. I-S. L-E-V-I. I thought a minute before adding. I-S. M-Y-R-A. W-I-T-H. Y-O-U. Y-E-T?

 _Y-E-S._ I sighed in relief. _D-O. Y-O-U. K-N-O-W. W-H-E-R-E. Y-O-U. A-R-E?_ He sent.

"N-O."

 _L-A-S-T. N-E-W-S. D. A-N-D. W. A-R-E. B-A-C-K. I-N. T-H-E. S-U-B-G-A-R-A-G-E._

I was thinking of what to reply, when light started enlightening the hallway slowly. Someone with a flashlight was approaching. I quickly got to my feet and put a hand on my gun. The quick footsteps got closer and then the angel captain appeared in my line of sight. I sigh and released the handle before standing up. He was carrying some sort of military jacket and when he got closer, I realized he had blood near his mouth.

"What happened?" I asked, panicked.

"There are soldiers all over the place." He tossed me the jacket. "I resupplied and borrowed this."

"You... killed one?"

"Put on the jacket Petra." He ordered.

I did as I was told and then the angel turned off the flashlight. I didn't need to ask why, it was better if we weren't seen. He grabbed my hand once more and pulled me behind him. He explained that the place was crawling with soldiers and more than once we had to stay hidden to let the patrol groups pass by. What were they doing down here so close to the titans? Actually the titans were everywhere now. The only plausible reason they'd be here would be to protect something. So it was either their lab supplies, or where Dok and Woerman were hiding. That's when I realize, Levi was dragging me in a precise direction... like he knew where we were going.

"Did you memorize a map of the place?" I asked. "Where are we going?"

"It smells like blood." He said. "A lot of it. And it's human."

"Isn't that normal with all the soldiers here."

"No. This smells like the blood oozing from a corpse."

That sentence sent shivers down my spine. I hadn't realized that their sense of smell was as good as to being able to tell the difference between spilling blood from the living and from the dead. He suddenly accelerated and I had trouble keeping up but I let him drag me. I couldn't see anything and as far as he knew, my mission was over. He stopped in front of what seemed to be a door. I could tell because of the light escaping from the bottom. But that wasn't all that was escaping from it : a dark and thick liquid was also leaking into the hallway. The angel grabbed his gun and kicked the door open. I entered after him. The room looked like a private office, and on the floor laying in a pool of his own blood was Nile Dok. A few feet away, leaned over the desk like a rag doll was Kitts Woerman. His blood was staining the elegant wooden desk and dripping onto the floor. I felt sick and brought my hand to my mouth as something turned in my stomach.

"They...they're already dead?" I let out.

Something was wrong. They didn't seem to have been dead long. If titans were responsible for this, then there would be no soldiers on this floor. It would be a lot messier than this, and their would be no blood left. This... was too clean. Too precise. Only only one person could have done this.

"Lucifer." I said.

I turned away from the bloody corpses feeling that I would throw up if I kept looking. I could almost smell the blood in the air now. If Lucifer was running things now, what did he want? What was he plotting ? We didn't even know what these two were planning to do with the titans before, so what now? Sweat drops started forming on my forehead and I placed my hand on my face and closed my eyes to keep myself from panicking. Two strong arms suddenly grabbed my shoulders from behind and held them firmly.

"Petra, I need you to answer questions for me."

Instead of reassuring me, that only made me want to panic more. Why was he interrogating me now when we should be searching for my family? "W...what is it?" I asked.

"What do you think of this? Are you glad the bastards are dead?"

What kind of question was that? "I...I don't know... Lucifer probably killed them."

"Then where do you think he is now?"

"How the hell should I know that? What's the matter with you?!" For a moment, I thought he was asking me to guess what was going on. But I was a tech nerd! Marco was the plan maker. " You're acting strange Levi..."

"Last question." He brought his lips close to my ear. "When exactly do you think he and I switched places?"

* * *

 **Apologies for the cliffhanger. PLEASE REVIEW!**


	29. Chapter 29

**I'm back! Hi guys! Long time no see! As promised, I made it as quick as possible!**

 **ENJOY!**

* * *

"Last question." He brought his lips close to my ear. "When exactly do you think he and I switched places?"

The second I understood the meaning of those words, I felt like my heart was going to stop. My eyes widened and my mouth dropped open. My capacity of movement had disappeared. Only my entire body was shaking and goosebumps spread all over my skin. No way. This couldn't be happening. Not now, not here! I felt his breath on my neck when he chuckled.

"Did you miss me?" He whispered before something warm and wet touched my ear.

I whipped around and backed up as far away as I could until I bumped into the desk, completely ignoring the dead corpse. The angel was smirking. That awful smile that didn't belong on that face, that arrogance that showed in his posture... no doubt about it.

"Lucifer..." I whispered almost inaudibly, but I knew he heard me.

"Oh yes, I'm going to enjoy this." He said as if he was talking to himself, and eying me like I was a piece of cake.

He chuckled again and I reached to grab my gun and pointed it at the clone. "Stay back!" I ordered, with that damn shaking voice of mine.

He only kept smiling and simply turned around to close the door. "Go ahead. If you can, love." Lucifer stated, throwing me a daring look... Just before he turned off the light button, plunging the entire room in complete darkness. I, literally and figuratively shot in the dark, more by reflex than anything else. I panted as I listened, but the only sound that reached my ears was more laughter. I was unable to pinpoint anything.

"Hahaha! You're adorable, Petra." He said, from somewhere in the room. I frantically looked for glowing eyes, as it was the only thing I could possibly see in this darkness. "I'm surprised you were able to shoot though. Levi didn't waste his time with you."

"Where is he? And where are Amanda and Alec?" I asked, as I kept looking, panicking more and more.

"If you want to play twenty questions you should answer mine first." He answered. The voice came from behind me so I turned around and backed up slowly.

"What question?"

"I told you : when do you think I took his place? If you answer, I might answer yours."

When did he switch places with Levi? When could he have? I tried to use my brain as well as stay alert for anything glowing. I could think of two possibilities. The first would be when I lost sight of him when he went down the stream alone to see where it led. The second was when he left me to go find me that jacket. I suddenly realized what I was doing. I was entering his game again, just like I had before. Making me talk was his way of getting information. I'd fallen for that once already, and it had cost the lives of nineteen people. It was not happening again!

"I'm not playing your games this time!" I assured, although my voice was still trembling.

"You're no fun." He whispered and I could feel his breath on my ear.

I once more nearly jumped out of my skin and backed up some more, raising my weapon again. But my heel hit something (probably the second corpse) and I fell on my back, dropping my weapon in the process. I tried to quickly get up but a foot stepped in my torso and sent me right back down. I looked up to see the golden eyes shining in the dark.

"That was too easy, Petra. I could've killed you ten times over. Levi would be so disappointed."

"Then why didn't you?" I said, as I tried to get his foot off me. But the angel was too strong.

"Didn't I tell you I wasn't done with you? I haven't grown bored of you yet."

The weight on above my chest suddenly disappeared and after a couple of seconds the lights turned back on. I got back to my feet and looked for my gun, only to find Lucifer in possession of it. "By the way, the answer was when you found me climbing the cliff."

"What have you done with Levi?" I asked.

"He's still alive for now."

"You killed Dok and Woerman, and you said the titans didn't interest you, so why are you still doing this? What do you want?"

"Are you interested?"

"I want my family back, that's all." I snapped, finally starting to get angry. "Where are they?"

"Follow me and you'll see." He said, turning around and opening the door again.

"You think I'm that, stupid, do you?" I said.

"Of course not. I think you don't have a choice. Now that the two bastards are dead, I'm the only one who knows where Levi and your foster parents are. And if you want to see them again, then you'll have to come with me. You could stay here and wait for the soldiers to find you, but nothing says they won't shoot you. You are an intruder after all."

I gulped, never blinking. I was too scared that something bad might happen if I do. I thought of all the soldiers down here. We still didn't know why the military was involved. Marco didn't have time to expose his idea. We still had a lot to find out. But while Hanji and the others were eliminating the titans, Levi and I were stuck down here. And with him of all people. All of this was way too fishy, he was offering me everything on a silver platter. It was too good to be true. He wanted something but I had no idea why. And that terrified me. I must've stayed quiet too long because he spoke again.

"I'm sure your little friends have told you that the castle's Black Ops are here. Do you know why?"

"..."

"Because Henry Aust called them here. And I know why. I know a lot of things Petra, more than anyone else here now that these two are dead." Said the angel, approaching me at a quick pace. He stopped when his face was an inch away from mine. "If you want to know what I know, and if you want to find your family, then you really should follow me."

It sounded like a proposal but it was definitely an order. He didn't wait for me to reply and walked out of the room. I threw one last glance at at the two corpses before following the angel. I turned on the flashlight he'd given me and followed him, making sure I was a full four meters behind. I could tell he was smiling. And my instincts kept screaming at me to run away.

'Levi, please be okay.'

At the same time, I took out my SpyBug in my hand and sent a message to Marco.

W. A-N-D. D. A-R-E. D-E-A-D.

The answer didn't take long to come. A-R-E. Y-O-U. S-U-R-E.

Y-E-S. I quickly signaled.

* * *

 **Royal Castle**

Jean tapped his foot nervously on the ground, a he tried to lay low at the corner of a corridor of the second floor. This was where most of ministers offices were, and only a few people other than the ministers themselves or their guards were aloud to circulate in. The only reason he'd been aloud there was because Krista had told everyone that he was her bodyguard. But the young man didn't feel at ease here. Petra and Ymir were fighting with the Scouts against the freaks and were in direct mortal danger. Marco was directing the entire operation, not only the Scout's but also their's. And all he could do was play spy with Krista.

"Damn it. Can I get anymore useless." He muttered to himself.

Quick footsteps made him look up. Krista was running back towards him from the end of the empty hallway.

"Jean! The Black Ops have gathered at the entrance of the garage. They'll be heading down there any minute. Someone's coming!"

The short blondie grabbed Jean by the arm and they entered an empty room, as numerous and heavy footsteps were getting louder. Both teens pressed their ears against the wooden door and listened attentively as someone was giving orders.

"I want two men outside under the window!" Ordered the voice. "Cut off every exit way there is for him. Let's hurry, Mr Aust is waiting for us. Don't let any of them escape."

Jean's eyes widened. "That's my old man." He muttered.

Krista put a finger in front of her mouth, to tell him to quiet down and focused on the Colonel's voice. "Until further notice, General Pixis and Supervisor Darius Zackley are under suspicions of high treason. Do not let them out of your sight!"

When they moved out, Jean turned to Krista again. "Marco was right! Darius Zackley is the one behind this!"

"We're running out of time." Exclaimed Krista, before reaching for her radio. "Marco, Commander, can you hear me?"

" _Yes. What's up Kris?"_ Replied the voice of their friend.

"The Black Ops are about to storm the Garage, Sherlock. And they're on their way to arrest Zackley and General Pixis. They've also disarmed all the members of the Castle's protective force. They're already suspecting something, if Zackley talks, they'll find the sub levels and the Scouts!"

" _Hanji and the other Squads aren't done dealing with the Titans yet and they're overwhelmed. Commander Erwin, what do we do?"_

It was quiet for a long moment before the ex-army commander answered. _"If we don't do anything, we'll loose too many..."_

" _Are you suggesting we lead the Black Ops to us so that they can help get rid of the titans?"_ Asked Marco. _"That would reveal the Scout's existence to the army."_

Some more silence went by. _"Krista?"_

"Yes, Sir."

" _I need you to get a message to your father."_

* * *

 **Garage, unknown sub level**

"You're quiet back there." Said Lucifer without stopping or turning around.

"Did you expect me to have a pleasant conversation with the guy who thinks I'm his meal?" I snapped.

"Careful Petra." He warned. "It's not really a good idea to diss the guy who holds everything you want."

"I don't get you." I said, finding this guy more a mystery than Levi. "What do you want, Lucifer? You won't gain anything from holding my family hostage. Or Levi for that matter. So what the hell is your game this time?"

He suddenly stopped in his tracks and I did the same, getting on guard, like I was expecting him to attack me. He did turn around this time and looked at me with almost angry eyes. "You have no idea how this will benefit me. I'm about to be completed and that's all that matters."

"Completed? What does that mean?" I asked, taking a step back.

"You'll see. We're almost there."

I let him lead the way through many hallways, never coming across anyone. That was strange. We were going up many staircases but … we never came across any soldiers, and I couldn't hear titans. I was sure Hanji had told everyone that the doctor she'd threatened had said something about them being kept right under the garage on the first clandestine floor. So why was it so quiet here? Maybe I couldn't hear because the walls were too thick or they somehow found a way to keep the titans quiet, but I doubted both of these hypothesis. There was no organization left now that Dok and Woerman were dead. And the clone had made it clear that he didn't care at all about the titans. No. He was interested in one thing only : Levi and me too for some reason. I couldn't understand him. We finally reached a dead hallway that led to a single metallic door. The angel inserted a key and pulled it open before turning to me.

"After you."

"You first." I said, suspicious.

"Whatever pleases you." He responded before stepping into the room. I hesitated to follow him until I heard his next sentence. "I'm back, Mr Kiler."

My eyes widened and without hesitation, I dashed forward and entered the room. It wasn't very big but at the end of it, sitting on the edge of some sort of military bed, was Tim. And sitting up on it was a woman with red hair, holding something in her arms. The man looked up and stood up immediately when they saw me.

"Petra!"

I dropped my torchlight and ran into my foster father's arms. I hugged him as hard as I could. It felt like forever since I'd seen him. And he didn't look like he was hurt. Thank goodness.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?" I asked.

"I should ask you that." Responded Timothy. "What happened to you? Your hair is wet... and you're shaking like a leaf."

Yeah, and not because of the cold. I searched for a way to avoid the subject when my eyes fell on the woman. "Amanda!" I exclaimed throwing my arms around her as well. "I'm so sorry." I said, as my eyes started to water. "If I'd gotten home sooner..."

"Don't you dare." She interrupted, hugging me so tight I thought I was gonna choke. Her voice was shaking and I realized I wasn't the only one on the verge of tears. "I'm so glad you're alright." She added.

I let go and looked at Alec, who wasn't moving in her arms. A wave of emotions pinched my heart as Toby's face came to mind. "Is he... is he alright?"

"He's fine. The sedatives should wear off soon." Replied Tim. "But we don't know where Myra is..." He confessed with a worried look on his face.

"I found her." I quickly said. "She safe." I suddenly noticed that all three of them were wearing strange thick black bracelets that kind of resembled my chocker.

"Alright. That's enough." Said Lucifer as he grabbed me by the back of the shirt and pulled me against him, wrapping an arm around my neck. "I'll let you have your mushy reunion later. Besides, I could still change my mind based on how things are going."

Amanda immediately snapped. "If you so much as make a hair on her head fall, I will murder you, monster!"

Stupid move, it could piss off the angel even more. But Lucifer only laughed and didn't even bother to respond to the threat.

"I'll bring her back to you soon to complete our deal, Mr Kiler. But for now, I still have business with her. Until then, please don't do anything stupid, unless you want your heads blown up." My heart skipped a beat. Those things were signal bombs, of course. I should've known he'd want insurance. "You too love, try to behave. I can end your family with a push of a button."

"Where are you taking me?" I said, trying to get out of his hold.

"You want to see him, don't you?"

I stopped struggling. He let go off my neck and dragged me down a staircase that I hadn't seen. When we reached the bottom of the stairs, he took a tiny remote out of his pocket and pushed a button. Some sort of trap door sealed the way behind us. Great, now I was trapped with him in a cave. Those scenarios are never good in movies, why should they be in real life? The room we stepped in looked like some sort of storage room, similar to the weapon and ammo room the scouts had in their HQ before it was blown to bits. There piled up cases probably filled with weapons or maybe even reserves for their labs. It reminded me of the C-zones in ports. The angel dragged me to the very far end of the room, where I spotted an immobile figure sitting in a chair.

It was Levi. His jacket had been taken (by Lucifer obviously since he was wearing it), leaving him in only in a black tank top, torn by claw marks. The sight was frightening. His entire body was covered in claw and bite marks. He wasn't moving and his arms seemed to be chained to the armrests. My heart tightened in my chest and for a moment, I thought he was dead. But when we got closer and Lucifer finally let go off my arm, I rushed to his side and shook him by the shoulders.

"Levi? Levi! Wake up! Tell me you're alright!"

I kept shaking until a growl like grunt finally came out and his eyes slowly opened. It took a moment for them to find my face.

"Petra?" He said, as he blinked a couple of times, like a person waking up from a hangover and doubting his senses. "Where are we? What the hell happened?"

I hesitated a second before saying. "Lucifer got us."

That first word made him straightened a bit too fast for his condition because he tensed up in pain too. He quickly scanned the room until his eyes landed on the clone. That bastard was still smiling at them.

"For your information, we are on the first clandestine floor. And since we're on a roll for good news, you'll be happy to learn that Dok and Woerman are officially pushing up daisies, courtesy of yours truly."

For the first time ever, I saw the angel captain's eyes widen in shock. Only briefly though, as he quickly regained his serious glare. No matter how beat up he seemed, it didn't seem to affect his mental state. "Bullshit." He let out.

"He's telling the truth." I said. "I saw them."

"See?" Continued Lucifer. "How does that make you feel, Captain? That I'm the one who stole the revenge you've been trying to fulfill for thirteen years now?"

Whatever taunt he was throwing, it would never work on Levi. As expected, the captain just stared blankly and said. "Good riddance."

In a way, I was glad that it wasn't Levi who'd killed them. It was one less stain on his conscience.

"Did you expect me to thank you?" Continued Levi, his eyes throwing daggers now. "You killed nineteen of my brats, you sick psycho. Do you think killing those bastards was worth anything?"

The clone laughed out loud, making me cringe. Everything was wrong with what he was. Nothing matched to that face. "If you're going to blame someone for them, shouldn't it be our dear Petra, here?"

He looked at me with a triumphant glare, and I couldn't help but look away, thinking of all the Scouts that had died because of me. Levi didn't reply but kept his angry eyes on his doppelgänger.

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue, Levi? Or maybe you've already decided that I was now at the top of your hit list."

"From the moment you kidnapped my tracker, you were at the top of the list, you son of a bitch."

"Right. Just before Timothy Kiler then. Isn't that right Levi?"

I looked up again at the angel captain, who kept his eyes on the clone a murderous aura surrounding him. I knew that it was a possibility that Levi would still want to kill Tim. But that's the whole reason why our betrayal was planned. And Lucifer was ruining all of it.

"Not even denying it? And right in front of her none the less. I guess both of us are cold-hearted bastards in the end, aren't we? But I shouldn't be surprised. You and I are the same."

"THAT'S A LIE!" I shouted at the clone, unintentionally. "You're nothing like him."

"Aren't we? No one would ever be able to tell us apart. Same hair, same face, same eye color, identical DNA and same corrupted dark heart..."

I really don't know what came over me, but I felt the anger rise from the bottom of my stomach to my head in half a second, and before I knew it I was back on my feet, throwing a well deserved punch in the clone's nose. He barely moved throw and when he turned back to face me, that annoying smirk stretched across his face again.

"That almost hurt." He mocked. "Think about it, love. Does it really matter when you're bitten by me or by him? You couldn't even tell the difference between me and him."

My cheeks flamed up because of the shame. Lucifer was a great actor, I hadn't even suspected he could have switched places with Levi, when it was the most obvious trick he had up his sleeves.

"That's just because I'm stupid." I spat out. "You'll never be able to fool Hanji or Erwin."

"I beg to differ."

I blinked and a second later, Lucifer grabbed me by the throat and threw me against the wall, right next to Levi's chair. The impact was so strong, I thought my back had shattered for a moment. But most of the pain was focused on my throat. I had to stand on my tip toes to keep myself in contact with the ground, and I was panting, catching every bit of oxygen I could, which was barely enough to keep me from passing out.

"She's got nothing to do with this, bastard!" Ordered Levi, pulling on his chains.

"On the contrary, she has everything to do with this Levi." With his free hand, he pulled my jacket and uncovered my shoulder. "This is where you bit her isn't it?"

Before I could even try to struggle, a pair of sharp fangs sank in my flesh and I cried out in pain. It was so much more painful than before, because he was purposely tearing the flesh more and I felt the warm and thick liquid drip on my skin. It was so painful, a stream of tears escaped my eyes. I looked at Levi, wanting to call out for help. But he was chained. There was nothing he could do. Somehow though, the look in his eyes was comforting there was clear rage and visible murder intent. My vision suddenly got blurry and I felt my muscles slowly give in. Lucifer finally pulled away and let go of me. I slid down the wall and fell on my side when I reached the ground, my head weighing a ton.

'No! I can't pass out! Not now!' I thought, biting my lower lip, hoping the pain would keep me conscious.

"Your expressions are amazing. Although, I gotta say that with the morphochlorine infesting your blood stream, it kind of looses it's taste. But hey, it'll wear off soon. Now stay down and be a good girl."

Moving my head was even more painful than I thought, and my vision was blurry so I couldn't discern them very well. Lucifer placed himself in front of Levi, and from what I could discern, he wasn't smiling for once.

"What the hell do you want, copy-cat?" Snapped Levi, his murderous glance as intense as ever. "You're clearly obsessed with getting a face off with me. Why?"

"Are you serious?" Replied the clone, and there was clear animosity in his voice. "What do you think when you look at my face Levi? I can tell you exactly what you think. It's repulsive, disgusting, unbearable to watch. It makes you want to rip it right off of me doesn't it? "

Levi frowned some more, betraying the fact that his doppelgänger had hit the bullseyes. But truthfully, it was not surprising. Because Levi thought of himself as a monster tainted with blood. So it was like the clone was reading his mind.

"Do you know how I know this?" Continued Lucifer, grabbing a handful of his hair and approaching his face closer to his.

But this time, the face he was making was familiar. It was the same face Levi made when I'd told him I'd found out about the real objective of the scouts.

"Because I am you!" Shouted the angry angel. "That's all anyone I've ever met searched for in me : you. I was created to look like you, to think like you, to fight like you … to be you! That's all I ever was to everyone. I exist only through you, Levi Ackerman! Do you have any idea how that feels?! I could vomit just thinking about it!"

From what I could discern, Levi had regained his usual pokerface. He seemed completely unaffected by what Lucifer was saying anymore. It was Lucifer's turn to get irritated. "Stop looking at me like that!"

Slashing his claws through the air, the clone hit the Scout captain in the face. I gasped in shock, as blood splashed close to were I was. But not a single cry escaped Levi's lips. He faced Lucifer again, the claw marks on his cheek dripping with blood.

"You done whining, you crybaby? If you don't want to be me, then do something about it."

'What are you doing, Levi?' I thought, panicking. 'Provoking him won't help anyone! Damn it, I can't move at all.'

"That's the problem Captain." Continued the clone. "I can't be anyone but you. I come from a test tube. Now that Dok and Woerman are dead, I have no relationships whatsoever left. I can't be anyone but you."

"You got only yourself to blame. You killed them, you cretin. Ugh!"

Lucifer had sent his clawed hand into Levi's stomach. His shirt started to get stained with a lot of blood as well. The angel Captain tensed up in pain and bit his teeth together, trying to contain the pain as Lucifer seemed to be sink his claws deeper inside his flesh.

"I've always wondered how much I could take under torture." Said the clone smirking again. "It should be about the same if I test it out on you, right?"

"Don't fucking joke." Replied the angel captain despite the pain. "You'd be whining like a little bitch."

"Oh? Should we see what happens if I break a bone?"

My heart almost stopped when I finally realized. He wanted to take Levi's place. Because he'd understood that the Captain wasn't alone. That's what was driving him insane. And to do that, he needed to make him disappear. The anxiety started choking me. I needed to move. I needed to help Levi! I needed to save my family! And to do that, I had to move, dammit! The only thing that came to mind that I could do, was ask for help from the smartest person I knew. Just getting my hand to my pockets to grab my SpyBug demanded tremendous effort from my exhausted body. But I managed to get it.

M-A-R-C-O. H-E-L-P. D-R-A-I-N-E-D. N-E-E-D. T-O. M-O-V-E. N-O-W.

Marco wasn't only an amazingly talented at deduction. He was a pit of infinite trivial knowledge. I someone had a trick to help me, it was him. I begged God at the same time, so that my friend would understand my message. A few awfully long seconds went by, when I could only watch Lucifer torture the scout captain some more, before finally, the bug vibrated again.

H-A-N-J-I-S. S-H-O-T-S. A-D-R-E-N-A-L-I-N-E.

Never have I been so thankful for being this big brain's friend. I moved my arm to my leg, where I'd strapped the leather pouch Hanji had given to me and the rest of the normals. Thank heaven it hadn't been damaged when we fell in the stream. I opened it and took out one of the syringes. I didn't waste anytime and pierced my leg through my pants with the needle and injected myself the disinfectant.

'Come on work!'

* * *

 **Navigators**

Marco was good at multitasking, so it didn't take him much effort to give directions to all the Squads while being lost in his own thoughts. No matter how much he'd turn it over and over in his mind, there was no other solution.

'Petra wants to save everyone and she's right.' Thought the pseudo detective. 'But no matter how I look at this it won't work. Not if things keep going as they are.'

If they did manage to get rid of all the titans before the Black Ops arrived, they'd be arrested and possibly executed on the spot before they had a chance to clear things. If the Black Ops saw the titans on the other hand, they'd probably help finish them which could not only save the lives of many Scouts but at the same time it would give them a favorable situation to talk things out.

But for that happen, they needed the Black Ops to find the sub levels now, and have the King and all the higher officials that know about the Heaven project down there as well. And there was no way Erwin was agreeing to that if he didn't know the status of Dok and Woerman. And if Marco revealed it to the Commander, he'd ask for how in the world he knew that.

The modern day Sherlock took a deep breath. 'I'm sorry Petra. But for our betrayal to work, I need to betray you too. It's the only way this can work.'

"Commander." He called out, earning himself the older man's attention.

Even for someone as smart as him, it was impossible to always be 100% right about everything. And for the first time, Marco was ready to give everything to be.

"There's something I have to tell you."

* * *

 **Things are getting edgy for our favorite Scouts! What in the world are they going to do?**

 **PLEASE REVIEW!**


	30. Chapter 30

**CHECK IT OUT! Two chapters in a month! I'm on a roll! As usual, I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

'Come on, work!' I prayed, as I injected the disinfectant solution into my system.

At first nothing happened. My body felt number and number and my head was spinning faster and faster. My eyelids were getting heavy and the feeling of drowning got more and more pronounced... and then, out of nowhere, a wave of energy appeared and shot throughout my entire body, waking me up in an instant and returning my strength. I immediately jumped on my feet and ran to the clone. Before he could do anything, I threw myself on him and violently tackled him to the ground with my newfound strength. It wasn't only my body that was suddenly faster and stronger but also my mind. I was taking in every detail, and everything that needed to be done. Before he could even think of pushing me off him, I grabbed his chest pocket and ripped it, as I knew it contained the remote that opened the door and probably the release key to free Tim and the others. The content fell out, and I with a left hook to the face I sent the clone back down with a bloody nose. This allowed me to grab the objects and turn to Levi, my mind still analyzing at lightening speed. What I had thought were chains were actually metal grey colored leather straps, like the ones on straight jackets. If I tried freeing him, Lucifer would just catch me again. But if I ran away, I'm pretty sure the clone would come after me. I threw the Captain an apologetic glare, before biting my lips and running away from them. This room was really big, but with my new found speed I quickly crossed it. It's only when I reached the stairs that I realized the problem. That was the wrong remote. In fact it wasn't one at all. The automatic door was still separating me from Tim and Amanda. Quickly realizing my mistake, I ran back into the room and hid behind one of the many alleys of shelves.

"They say a mother's adrenaline rush can make her strong enough to lift the car her child is trapped under." Said Lucifer's voice, as steps were slowly getting closer. I was right, he was coming after me. At least that meant Levi was safe for now. "That about also defines the kind of strength angels have. The only difference is it's not gonna last long for you. All I have to do is wait a few minutes for the effects to disappear and then it's game over for you."

'Yeah, except I still have five shots left.'

But he wasn't wrong, I was already feeling the effects going down and my mind was also slowing down. I don't know what Hanji mixed with the disinfectant, but I'm pretty sure there was more than just adrenaline.

"You won't be able to get out of here without that remote. That door can withstand a shock of three tons. The only way you can get out if you take the real remote from me. By the way, what you took is the detonator of the bombs so I suggest you be careful."

What now? I had two options. The first would be to let him walk as far as possible and go free the angel. But that was an easy move to predict. The other was to ambush the bastard. But with no weapon aside from a buckle knife, and the fact that he was probably better than me when it comes to combat... His chuckle resonated in the room, making me shiver.

"You know what, I don't mind playing with you a little. It should be fun."

He talked as if he knew where I was... no he KNEW where I was and was slowly making his way to me. I looked at the bite mark on my shoulder still heavily bleeding. Ah, curse me!

'Darn it, I'm an idiot. If he finds me, I'll have no choice but to fight. Wait... this is a lab storage room.'

It looked like once more luck was on my side. The very shelf I was hiding behind had boxes marked Dissolvent. Again, I thanked Marco for being a pit of infinite trivial knowledge. I quickly reached inside and grabbed two glass bottles. I tossed them at random in two different directions and dashed away from my spot at the same time. The noise of the crashing glass covered the noise I made while running and the dissolvent instantly started to stink in the entire room. The smell was pretty bad for me, so I couldn't imagine how bad it was for him and Levi. On the way, I hid the detonator under one of the shelves. I didn't know how to disarm it. I quickly was other stuff I had left on me. Aside from the SpyBug and the leather pouch with the disinfectant shots, I realized I still had my buckle knives, a charger with twelve bullets and one of Hanji's pimento bombs.

"Not bad, love. Not bad at all. Very clever. I'd expect nothing less from you." Applauded the clone. "But there's a little detail you didn't think about."

The voice was coming from just above me and my heart froze in my chest. His arm snaked around my neck before I could look up and I had to stand on my tip toes to remain in contact with the ground as he was strangling me.

"You're still way too predictable." He muttered in my hear.

Panicking and out of options, I grabbed another syringe but before I could inject it, he violently tossed me to the side and I landed heavily on my shoulder. I let out a cry of pain, and writhed painfully. He jumped down the shelf and picked up the syringe I'd dropped.

"So, that's how you did it, you cheater." He said examining the tool.

I forced myself to ignore the pain and I sprang up to my feet. The crippling fear I was feeling was making my entire body shake and I could sense the effects of the first shot already wearing off. He laughed at me again.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Petra? You know you're going to loose."

"You don't know that." I said, trying to sound assured.

"Oh yeah? Have you ever beaten Levi, or even landed a hit on him?"

"You're not Levi." I snapped. "And for your information, I have landed a hit on him."

Even though we weren't exactly training at the time. The ever-present smile on his face suddenly disappear and he was looking at me with almost angry eyes. He looked more like Levi now, and just that made more shivers travel up and down my spine.

"When I get rid of him, I'll be Levi. And no one will ever be able to deny it."

"Why do you need me?" I suddenly asked hoping to gain time, while searching for an idea. "The only thing I have to do with the Scouts is finding my family. So why me?"

"I told you, I'm going to become Levi. That means everything he has is also going to be mine. Including you."

For a moment, I stared dumbfounded. Why was he saying that? "I don't belong to him. I don't belong to anyone!"

" Isn't it true that when you love someone, you give yourself entirely to them? Don't play dumb, Petra. It's written all over your face. I've known since the instant I revealed my face to you. You were so desperate when you thought I was him. Why was that? Tell me."

"Th-that has nothing to do with it!" I said, my face turning red despite the situation.

He chuckled again. "Is that why you think about him when I bite you? Is that why you call for him when you're in danger? Isn't that why you protect him even though he plans to kill your family? What other than that can be the cause?"

At every sentence, my mind was carrying me back to those memories. All those times Lucifer had bitten me. That time Eren attacked me and I called out to the Captain. That time I decided I'd betray the Scouts to save them. To save him. Never once had this hypothesis surfaced. I was doing that because it was the only way to save everyone, wasn't that right? To me, Levi was … someone I cared about for sure. Someone that I wanted to save. But why was this maniac's words haunting me? It wasn't like that! At least, I didn't think so...

"See? You can't deny it. Don't worry though. I'll be better than he ever was. I won't touch your family. I'll deserve everything you'll give me. Unlike him, I won't treat you like trash and bend you by force to my will. I'll be the one you'll want to call out to."

"What makes you think I'll want anything to do with you? I'll know the truth."

"I'll make you forget. I'll be the only Levi there ever was in your eyes. You're the only one I need Petra. Once he's gone, you'll be the only person I'll have ties to. You're the only one that matters."

He was crazy. Completely insane, devoured by loneliness and loss of identity. The kind of madness I wasn't sure you could come back from. I took a deep breath. I needed to get that remote and get out of here fast.

"Lucifer." I said clearly. "You will never be Levi. No matter what Dok and Woerman told you, you're another person. Another soul. It's not possible for you to be Levi. And if I love him, it's not possible for you to replace him in my heart. I'd mourn his death and hate you. You have to fight to become your own person. Stealing from Levi won't bring you anything."

The look on his face became even darker, so much that I took a step back. "Yeah? And what do you see Petra, when you look at me? It's always him isn't it? Don't deny it."

"At first yes." I confessed. "But now, when I look at you... I only see the sick psycho who's holding my family hostage and hurting my friends. That makes you light years away from who Levi is."

I thought I saw him clench his teeth, before he started chuckling again. "Do you know what I see when I see you Petra?"

More shivers travelled up my spine and brought up my arms.

"I see the closest thing to a lover he's ever had. That makes me hate him even more. Not only does him being alive alone keeps me from existing, but he also gets everything I want. I wonder what kind of faces he'll make if I bruise you a little."

He threw the syringe against the wall, breaking it. Just reaching for another would make him attack me, I was sure of it. My only idea was the oldest trick I knew. I looked behind him and exclaimed. "Levi!"

I don't know what kind of miracle made him fall for that, but he looked behind him. That second was all I needed to toss Hanji's pimento grenade. He immediately started coughing and backing away from the red smoke. I quickly injected myself with another dose, and once more, the adrenaline rushed through my system. I grabbed the side one shelf and pulled on it as hard as I could, making the entire row collapse like dominos until they were making a temporary wall between me and the clone. I ran away from there and scanned the contents of other shelves, hoping to find something else that could help me. Only to find myself face to face with him again. Just how fast was he? Unable to do anything else, I got on guard.

'Darn it!' I cursed. 'He must have closed his eyes.'

"Let's see just how well he taught you, shall we?" He said grinning.

Before I knew it, he was standing right in front of me, his fist heading straight for my face. I raised my arm defensively and blocked it. I felt the impact but no pain. The adrenaline rushing through me was making it impossible for me to feel anything. I could follow his moves and block them, but he was still too fast for me to attempt any form of attack. I dodged his, and when I couldn't avoid them, blocked with all my strength. But at each hit, I started feeling them more and more. And slowly the pain reappeared. After a couple of minutes of that, I clearly felt the bruises on my skin.

Lucifer seemed delighted. "Looks like your adrenaline wore off. Now, let's get back to serious stuff."

I received his knee in the stomach, expelling the air out of my lungs so violently, I thought I was going to pass out. I fell on all four, coughing loudly and holding my stomach.

'Crap. This is bad.'

He crouched down and pulled me up by the hair, making me look at him. The expression on his face had changed again. He looked disappointed now. His mood swings were scary. A lot more scary than Eren's. Goosebumps started spreading all over my skin.

"Tell me. What makes he and I so different? We're both strong, we're both smart, we're both freaks. So what is it that makes him so special?"

"You want to know what makes him special?" I replied with a strangled voice. I took in how close we were. This was my only chance. But I had to distract him. "I've never met someone as caring and selfless as Levi. And I've never met someone as self-centered as you."

At first he remained expressionless, but then another grin appeared across his face and he laughed. "Him? Selfless? You're so naive. Everything he's been doing up till now was for his revenge on Dok and Woerman and project Heaven. He even blackmailed and used you for that."

"... I really pity your lack of judgment." I said, as I at the same time carefully plunged two finger in his jacket pocket. "He sacrificed everything for the Scouts."

"The same Scouts that are now getting torn to pieces by the Titans?" He mocked.

"He didn't force them to fight." I said, getting irritated by his condescending. "He gave them a choice to make things right. And they took it."

"You forgot one detail, kid." Said a familiar voice, making Lucifer look to the side. I pulled out the remote and immediately after, something thrown at full speed collided with the face of the clone forcing him to let go of me. "I don't remember ever being this ugly."

"Levi!" I exclaimed, a huge wave of relief and shock invading me. "How..."

Before I could ask the Captain grabbed my arm and pulled me up to my feet. One of his wrist was bleeding all around. The wound on his side was still bleeding heavily too as well as the one on his cheek. I couldn't even guess what he'd done to get free. "You bought me just enough time. Get out of here. He's mine."

I wanted to protest but we didn't have much choice. The faster I got Tim and Amanda out of danger, the faster I could help Levi properly and get on with my betrayal. I took out a pocket knife and gave it to him.

"Be careful!" I shouted, before dashing back towards the staircase.

'Get out of here? He's not in any condition to fight Lucifer.' sf

I had to hurry. Once I reached the trap door, I pressed the button and it slowly opened. Tim and Amanda stared at me in shock when I emerged from the cave.

"Petra! What's ..." Started my foster father.

"No time to explain!" I cut off, grabbing his arm and inserting the release key in his bracelet bomb. It beeped and fell to the ground. I did the same for Amanda and the still sleeping Alec before turning to Timothy.

"Tim, do you have a weapon? Anything?" I asked.

"No. And the hallways are still crawling with corrupt soldiers."

In other words, they couldn't step outside defenseless like that. Not with his wife and child that couldn't defend themselves. But the least I could do was get them into another room as far away from Lucifer as I could. Amanda seemed to have sprained her leg so I took Alec in my arms and Tim carried his wife. We went down a couple of hallways, until I heard some footsteps coming this way and opened the closest door their was. Thank heaven, the room was empty. There was a bed. It was probably one of the soldier's rooms.

'Damn, this Clandestine Garage plan was thought out.' I thought as Tim put down Amanda and I gave Alec back to her.

I opened the door slightly and waited for the footsteps to get closer. When they were close enough, I kicked the door as hard as I could into the passing soldier's face and he fainted instantly. I searched him until I found a gun on him and took it, while my foster parents stared at me, bewildered.

"I've been practicing."

This was the only explanation I could give for now. I pulled the soldier inside the room. "Tim, tie him up while he's out cold. You guys stay here and lock yourselves in." I said before running back towards the door, but Tim grabbed my arm stopped me.

"What do you think you're going?"

"I have to help Levi." I said. "If I don't, he'll die."

The thought of Mike fighting alone against Reiner and his horrendous death was still haunting me. Imagining Levi ending up like him made me want to puke. My foster father had been trained in military arts but even I could tell he was weakened right now. And someone needed to watch over Amanda and Alec. I shook myself free and rushed back down the hallways to return to the room leading to the cave.

"Petra!" I heard him call out, before it closed completely.

'I'm sorry. But it's safer if he can't reach you.'

On my way back down, I also picked up the three bracelet bombs.

* * *

 **Sub level -12**

Eld couldn't believe what he was seeing. That thing in front of him couldn't possibly be human. It was a titan for sure there was no mistaking that uncontrollable thirst for blood. But a titan had a thick crystal armor, keeping the bullets and knifes from grazing her. To top it all off, she was fast and deadly. She'd already killed three of them, once strike each. All they could do was dodge her. Eren and Mikasa were fighting too, despite their injuries. They didn't seem to be able to communicate with her either. Eld himself, had barely escaped death and had a heavily bleeding shoulder.

"Darn it! Mikasa, is this thing unkillable or what?"

"I don't know." Replied the Asian girl. "I mustn't have slashed deep enough."

" _Maybe it's like with Eren."_ Said Armin, in Eld's ear. _"If she lost it just at the moment you hit her, the regeneration must have kicked in. If she drinks blood she'll probably go back to normal, just like Eren did."_

"Little problem here, Armin." Said Eld. "There are no normals with us."

" _I know! Ymir is with Squad Gabriel working on the escape routes. Even if she did make it here in time, there's no guarantee Annie will not kill her for her blood..."_ Thought out loud the navigator, desperately searching for a solution.

Eren clenched his teeth again. Dodging Annie in the state he was in had made his arm and leg hurt even more. But that was the least of their problems. What could they do? If this kept going, they were all going to die down here. And that was by far the last thing he wanted! The only reason they were still kicking right now was because the female Titan seemed to only attack when being attacked or when they were trying to leave.

"She needs to be distracted." Muttered Mikasa to Eld and Eren who were the nearest. "I'll do it, you guys run to the door and lock us in. This lab was design to keep Titans from escaping. I'm sure she can't get passed the door. Eld, you'll have to help Eren."

"Are you out of your mind?" Snapped Eren. "I know you're good Mikasa, but she's just as good and stronger than you!"

"I wasn't asking." She replied before before shouting. "HEY, TITAN!"

The instant the female Titam turned her attention to her, Mikasa reached inside her jacket and pulled out a blood pack. The one she was suppose to have drank before the raid. Also the one she'd kept for Eren just in case. She held up the pouch and popped it open with her claws above her head, drenching herself with the red liquid.

"Come get me, monster!" She said before turning around, and dashing towards the far end of the lab.

Throwing one last look at Eren, a flow of thoughts invaded her mind. She was so thankful to have seen him again. To have been able to talk to him. And if she could make a last wish, it would be that he and Armin be safe. As predicted, the titan rushed after her, jumping over the still shocked Eren and Eld.

"MIKASA!" Shouted the titan as Eld kept him from running after them.

A tear escaped her eye before she focused on zigzagging between the giant tanks to gain a little more space between her and the monster. Lucky for her the titan seemed to be carried away by her speed and weight, making it easier for the Scout to win some time. But when she finally met the wall, she turned around and got on guard but too late. The female titan was already on her, growling like a beast. Before she knew it, a set of sharp claws slashed across the neck and shoulder, dangerously close to the throat. But the best didn't stop there. Before Mikasa could even realize that she was wounded, a kick to the ribs sent her to the floor. A nasty cracking sound made her understand that more than a couple of her ribs had cracked if not, broke. She grunted, as the Asian girl wasn't used to letting her inter state show. But this was painful. Usually Mikasa was strong. The strongest even. She'd never been this injured. Even when the Titans had invaded the HQ, she hadn't collected so much as a bruise. The only one that ever readied her for what pain was like was the Captain. The beast then grabbed her by the throat and Mikasa struggled only to realize that she didn't have the strength to get free. Her black eyes eyes the creature above her. She couldn't believe that it used to be human. In a strange way, she found herself pitying Annie. She probably hadn't wanted any of this either. The monster growled and raised an arm, claws out and ready, her crystal armor shining with every movement.

'Make it out you guys...' Thought Mikasa, closing her eyes. 'Please.'

Annie's arm once more slashed the air and...

"STOP IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!" Shouted the gut wrenching voice of Eren, echoing through the entire lab.

The blond titan's claws stopped before staring at the boy, that had gotten free from Squad Michael's Lieutenant and that was now limping towards them as fast as he could. "GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HER!" He growled some more.

His face was terrifying. For a moment, Mikasa thought he was going insane again. But no, his eyes remained blue. She was about to tell him to run away, but Annie suddenly got off her and all of her attention seemed to now be focused on him. She growled at him and took a few steps forward. Eren took a buckle knife out and shouted at her again.

"BACK OFF!"

She seemed to jump and backed off into the wall as far as she could, even though she was still growling at him. It was almost like... no it couldn't be. Eren rushed to Mikasa's side and helped her up.

"Mikasa! Are you alright? What the hell were you thinking?! You idiot!" He scolded.

"Is she... listening to you?" Said the Asian girl her eyes still staring at the female titan in shock.

"I -I don't know."

"She looks like she's scared of you or something. Like a dog."

A couple of running footsteps made them look up. The rest of the Squad joined their side, and froze when they saw the unbelievable scene in front of them. The beast that had mercilessly killed three of them with ease was now cowering in a corner and hissing like an angry cat.

"I don't know what the hell is going on here, but let's get out while she's like that." Said Eld. "Everyone outside. Now!"

"Wait!" Said Eren, before standing up again.

He took a step towards her again and again Annie backed off growling. Eld quickly put a hand on his shoulder to stop me.

"Don't tempt the devil, Eren!" He said, concerned. "It's already a miracle that she backed of like that."

"Please let me try this." Asked Eren, before walking closer.

The entire Squad held it's breath, as the titan boy slowly approached the titan. He stopped about three meters away from her and she kept growling and hissing louder at him.

"Be quiet!" Ordered Eren.

To all the Scout's surprise, she immediately stopped hissing even though her teeth were still visibly clenched. However, Annie still wasn't talking. The titan had taken over completely, that much was obvious. It was more like she was reacting to the titan boy.

'This is weird.' Thought Eren, still eying the creature in front of him. 'She's stronger than me, and not only when speaking of physical strength.'

Eld approached Eren carefully. "You think you can control her?"

"I don't know." Replied the younger one before turning to the female titan again. "Back off three steps." He ordered.

Being purposely specific was the point, but the titan growled again at him. Fearing that she might attack again, he ordered again, louder and clearer. "I said back off three steps!"

Once more, she seemed to tense up and quickly executed the command of the teenager.

"It feels more like intimidation than anything else."

The titan boy's eyes suddenly widened in utter shock. "Are you alright Eren? Asked the Lieutenant.

"Guys... I think I know why they cloned the Captain."

On the other side of the line, the blond navigator was as stunned as his best friend, as he'd figured out exactly at the same time what he was thinking of.

" _So that's it. That's an Alpha."_

* * *

 **Earlier, sub level -10.**

"You bought me just enough time. Get out of here. He's mine."

"Be careful!" She shouted, before dashing back towards the staircase.

As the normal girl was heading towards the exit, the two doppelgängers focused all of their attention on each other. At first, were it not for that still bleeding wound on the angel captain's cheek, it would've been impossible to tell them apart. Both had angry eyes burning with hate and contempt towards the person in front. They stared for a long minute before a grin finally appeared on the clone's face.

"What do you intend to do Levi?" He asked.

"I think it's pretty obvious. I'm gonna kick your ass." Replied the original, his eyes throwing daggers.

"You're not stupid Levi." Said Lucifer. "You're too injured to stand a chance against me. Not that surrendering will stop anything."

"Quit running your mouth like an idiot, copy-cat."

The angel captain raised his arms, but instead of clenching his fists, his claws came out, sharper than razors. He'd trained everyone in the Scouts to use them efficiently, even though he despised those things. But he was out of options. And this was a fight he could not loose.

"Don't be a killjoy, Levi. I want to play a little before I actually send you to the other side."

Instead of replying, the captain threw himself in his doppelgänger with inhuman speed, and slashed the air with a cat's agility. Almost taken by the surprise, Lucifer moved out of the way just in time to avoid a mortal injury, but not quick enough to keep the claws from nastily scratching the clone's forearm. Levi didn't give him to time to even scream, and sent his foot in his solar plexus, throwing him violently against a shelf. From the clone's breathing, he could tell his breath was cut off. It was the best moment to strike. Again, Levi threw himself at Lucifer, ready to give him the coup-de-grace, but the doppelgänger took a gun out of his jacket and shot a bullet in the Captain's leg. Levi grunted and crashed on the ground.

"You almost surprised me there. But I always stay on guard. So do you. The only reason you're acting this rashly is because you're desperate, aren't you?" Said Lucifer, standing back up.

"That's rich coming from you." Growled Levi, forcing himself back to his feet as well. 'Damn it. My leg's killing me.' He cursed.

"Fun fact, this is Petra's gun. There's about nine rounds left in there. That's plenty enough for me to send you to your grave Captain." Taunted the clone. "But I have a few questions for you. Tell me. How does it feel to be loved?"

"The hell?" Replied Levi raising an eyebrow.

"Don't tell me you haven't noticed her desperate efforts to save you. How does it feel?"

Levi eyed his mirror image and thought carefully. He was clearly at a great disadvantage. If he wasn't wounded, he'd have maybe 50% chance at dodging the bullets. But with both his side and leg injured, there was no chance he could. Talking with the bastard might gain him some time to think.

"It's annoying."

"That's disappointing. Doesn't it shake you up a little? That someone like that cares about beasts like us. Doesn't it make you want to have second thoughts about killing her father?"

"I've already made up my mind about that. Darkness should remain in the dark."

"Do you intend to kill her as well?"

"..."

"She's one of you now. But she's also a normal with your secret. If you don't want to get rid of her, I guess that would mean keep her with you forever. But that also means stealing her freedom and she'll hate you for it. Or maybe she's just a really good liar and fooled you. Maybe she's running away with her folks right now, abandoning you and your Scouts."

"That better be what she's doing." Snapped Levi. "If she comes back here, I'll beat her up until she passes out."

"I think you're a liar. "

"You know for a cheap knock off of me, you sure like to talk."

"I'm curious that's all. Your life is going to be mine Levi. And I want to act accordingly."

The Captain felt a vein pop on his forehead. This idiot was getting on his last nerve. "You twisted bastard. You don't even realize what your saying do you? You're more of a child than my brats. And that's saying something."

Nothing could anger Levi more than someone trying to live his kind of life. Because it wasn't living. It was surviving in a nightmare that was trying to eat you. And he wouldn't wish that for anyone, not even his worst enemy. Lucifer's smile vanished at that sentence.

"I mean everything I say. I want your life Levi. In every way possible. I want everything you have, and I'll gain everything you desire." He declared before tossing the gun further in the room, and taking out his claws. "You're mine. And so is she."

The anger boiling in the Captain's veins finally spread throughout his entire body, so much that he forgot about the pain. He threw his signature death glare at the clone.

"Bring it, you bastard." Levi replied. "I'm gonna show you exactly what being me implies. And how fast I can make you cry."

* * *

 **A showdown between Levi and Lucifer? How pumped are you guys?!**

 **PLEASE REVIEW!**


	31. Chapter 31

**Hi guys. I'm late because I had my finals (got my BA btw!) and I'm helping my family move so I'm really busy. And I wanted to make this chapter full of action so it took some time to do. I hope you'll enjoy it!**

* * *

 **Navigators**

"Armin, what did he just say?" Asked the Commander, wondering if he'd heard wrong.

The blond angel kept staring at nothing in particular, shock still visible on his face. It took him a few seconds to snap out of his trance. "Commander. We know what the Alpha is."

"Talk." Said Marco.

"I think the Alpha is someone who can control the titans. To a certain extent at least. Eren appears to be one too. He's keeping the Female Titan at bay by voice alone. This is extraordinary. If only we'd known sooner..."

Erwin placed a hand on the shorter blond's shoulder. "Calm down soldier. The past is the least of our worries now. I need you to cool your head." He glanced at Marco and Nicolas. "Now gentlemen, what can you do with this information?"

Marco spoke immediately. "Armin, you said Eren can control Annie to a certain extent. That means that that control isn't perfect."

"Yes, but I'm ready to bet anything that it's because Eren is also a Titan."

"Then that tells me two things." Declared the detective. "First, we now know how Dok and Woerman were planning to control the titans. Lucifer was their key. If they controlled him, then they controlled the titans. No wonder he turned on them. Second, we can be sure that the Captain is an Alpha. His control of the titans must be a lot more powerful than Eren's."

"What makes you say that?" Asked Connie, who was having trouble keeping up with the big minds.

"The fact that he was able to move a gigantic bunch of them when they attacked our HQ. If he didn't have perfect control of them, then there's no way he could've pulled it off. I'm sure of it. You agree with me Armin?"

"100%." Assured the blondie. "It's the only conclusion possible."

Erwin closed his eyes for a moment, thinking over what the clever boys had uncovered. He thought of the next course of action to take. In a corner of the room, a couple of their best hunters had been on standby. Sasha was holding the sleeping girl in her arms and both her and Connie were waiting for instructions.

The Commander then ordered the short blondie to ask Squad Michael their status and the pseudo Sherlock to contact Hanji. Marco sat back down at his post and put his earpiece back on.

"Navigators to Squad Seraphim. Lieutenant Hanji, do you copy?"

" _Yep! Hey kid! Tell Commander Eyebrows that our plan was a success, thanks to Squad Gabriel."_ Declared the cheerful voice of the Head of the Science branch. _"We got about thirty of them. Awaiting further instruction now."_

"Roger."

Marco relayed the information to Erwin, and Armin told them that Eld's Squad were also waiting for instructions. Annie was still more or less under control. Nicolas confirmed that Squad Raphael was still covering their exit ways.

"Marco, are you certain that Dok and Woerman are dead?"

"Positive. Petra wouldn't relay an info as important as that without being sure. And given the last message she sent me, they are most likely fighting Lucifer right now."

"Send us then!" Exclaimed Connie. "The only danger now is him right? They're going to need help!"

"But the Captain said that he would deal with Lucifer on his own. And Petra is with him." Replied Armin.

"She hasn't contacted me in a while." Said Marco. "They're struggling right now. It would be best to send someone to help them. The problem is that we have no idea where they are. I'll try contacting her again."

Marco took out his SpyBug and quickly morse coded a message. P. - S.T.A.T.U.S.

It took a couple of long minutes before the device started vibrating in his hand. Everyone in the room held their breaths as Marco decoded the morse.

"F.A.M.I.L.Y. - S.A.F.E. - L.E.V.I. - W.O.U.N.D.E.D. -F.I.G.H.T.I.N.G. - L.U.C.I.F.E.R. - N.E.E.D. - H.E.L.P. No doubt about it. They're in a pinch. But it would be reckless to send anyone to blindly search for them. There are probably more Titans scattered throughout the sub-garage."

"What makes you say that?" Asked Armin.

A sad shadow appeared on the detective's face and he took a deep breath. "Because Petra didn't mention once anything about Thomas or Lieutenant Mike. It's likely something's happened to them before Petra ended up with Lucifer."

Nicolas's eyes widened. "You don't mean... They couldn't be... No way..."

"It's only a possibility." Said Marco. "But I wouldn't discard it. We have to anticipate the worst. In any case, Sasha and Connie, are you willing to throw yourself in the fire blindly to find them? If you encounter Titans..."

"Don't worry about us, dude!" Exclaimed the bald angel. "We can take care of ourselves. Sasha and I are second only to the Captain and the Lieutenants when it comes to sniffing out danger and tracking. Commander, please. Let us go find them. We'll bring the both of them back in one piece."

Once more, the blond man thought out carefully before speaking. "Very well. But if you find yourselves in a pinch, abort mission straight away."

"Yes sir!"

Sasha stood up and laid the ever-sleeping Myra on the couch that was inside the Navigator's truck. Throwing Armin's jacket over her, the glutton then patted her head. "Don't worry. We'll bring back your big sis in one piece."

With that, the two hunters nodded at each other and headed out to find their Captain and their tracker. Erwin then turned his attention back to the three navigators.

"Alright. Marco, contact Jean and Krista. I want to know if the..."

" _Squad Raphael to Navigator's!"_ Suddenly shouted Gunther's voice in Armin's earpiece, making the teenager almost jump out of his skin.

"Navigators here!" Said Armin, putting it on speakers so that everyone could hear as he sensed the panic in the Lieutenant's voice. "We're listening."

"What's wrong Gunther?" Asked Erwin.

" _This is bad, Commander!"_ Shouted the Lieutenant of Squad Raphael. _"We were clearing the escape route but now we have titans swarming it! We're retreating, there are too many of them for us to deal with them on our own! What do we do Sir?! We won't be able to fight in that narrow space!"_

Not waiting for the Commander to think it over, Marco quickly reacted and pressed a button on the keyboard that allowed them to speak to all the squads at once. "Navigators to all Squads! Everyone gather on the lowest floor where the labs are! Squad Raphael, you need to lead the Titans there! We can't allow them to go up to the surface!"

Erwin looked at the cameras. There were few in the sub-garage but those that showed some of the sub levels -8 to -10 had no shaky activity. It seemed Marco's deduction had been wrong. They didn't keep the Titans near the surface. He was right, the priority was to keep them from escaping out, be it via the surface or the sewers. The Commander grabbed Armin's earpiece.

"Squad Seraphim, Squad Gabriel. Where are you right now?"

" _Still in the canyon leading to the sewers."_ Replied Hanji. _"We're on our way out to regroup in the lab."_

"Before you go, find a way to block the entrance to the canyon! We can't let the titans escape by there either!"

" _Roger. We have bombs left, it's doable."_

"Hurry! You don't have much time." Urged the Commander.

Meanwhile, Marco was busy giving detailed instructions. "Lieutenant Eld! Prepare for battle, you're going to have company soon. Tell Eren to try to use the female titan if he can. She might be our greatest asset now. Squad Raphael, try to make the titans follow you! We absolutely can't let them scatter and go to the upper levels!"

" _Thanks Sherlock, but how are we suppose to do that?"_ Growled the Lieutenant. _"Most of them are following us, but how do you suggest we make all of them follow us?"_

"Ymir, are you up for it?" Asked Marco, loud enough for his friend to hear through her Squad leader's earpiece.

" _Can't be much different from being chased by money-thirsty dealers."_ Muttered the freckled girl.

The ex junkie internally prayed before taking out her knife and slashing the palm of her hand. That would do the trick. Now they had to be sure to reach the lower floors without getting caught by the monsters.

'Now it begins, the all out brawl against the titans.' Thought Marco, praying that his calls were the right ones. Even Armin and the Commander had faith in his decisions. Now came the most insufferable part of this mission. The one where the navigators waited while the rest of the Scouts fought.

"We need the Captain down there." Said the Armin. "The titans are likely much more numerous than us."

"We can't do anything while he's with Lucifer." Said Marco. "Let's just hope that they can deal with him fast. For now, we only have ourselves to rely on."

* * *

 **Unknown location**

Even before he got mixed up in this nightmare and became a monster, Levi was a strong man. Very strong. The tortuous childhood he'd had made him a beast amongst human beings. When he became an angel, he was even stronger. As if he'd needed any of that. And he was too strong for the bunch of thirteen year old brats (in appearance at least) that he'd been put in charge of. At first, he'd thought Erwin was insane. It was like entrusting porcelain cups to an elephant. And even now that they were older and stronger than any human, they were no match for him. He wasn't allowed to go full force on them, otherwise they'd end up with a few broken bones at the end of each training session. For the past three years, Levi had to hold back. No one was strong enough to match him. Hanji and Erwin always wondered why the hell he always disappeared to hunt down strays on his own. It was because he needed to conserve that strength of his. Just in case a moment like this one presented itself. And it looked like his intuition hadn't failed him. Because he was definitely going to murder that freak.

"I mean everything I say. I want your life Levi. In every way possible. I want everything you have, and I'll gain everything you desire." Declared Lucifer before tossing the gun further in the room, and taking out his claws. "You're mine. And so is she."

The anger boiling in the Captain's veins finally spread throughout his entire body, so much that he forgot about the pain. He threw his signature death glare at the clone.

"Bring it, you bastard." Levi replied. "I'm gonna show you exactly what being me implies. And how fast I can make you cry."

The clone's eyes brightened up in delight at the thought of destroying the one thing that was keeping him from existing. Levi could feel the turn on it was for his doppelgänger and frowned in disgust.

"Come at me, Levi. I'll show you just how improved of a version of you I am! So by all means... don't hold back!"

He'd barely finished his sentence when the angel threw himself on him, claws out and eyes burning with rage. The clone avoided his first attacks with agile movements, but quickly found himself backing off. Levi wasn't just fast. Each of his strikes were aimed at vital parts. If he hit any of them, the few seconds of distraction it would allow him would give him the victory. Truly, Lucifer had chosen the right person to become. He hadn't only taken into account their physical resemblance but also the angel's strength, determination and brains.

Lucifer had to cancel out his thoughts of admiration and impatience when Levi's claws bit into his neck as he didn't dodge fast enough. The wound was not enough to cause much fatale damage, but the scent of his own blood reached his nose. Beginning his counter-attack, the clone swung his foot in the air, but Levi dodged by ducking. Lucifer also blocked the knee that almost collided with his ribcage but couldn't avoid the punch in the jaw. Taking advantage of the few seconds he gained, the angel captain moved behind him with the intend to wrap one arm around his neck and another around his head with the intent to end it all with a snap of the neck. If only it'd been that easy. Before he could tighten his hold too much, his doppelgänger bit down on his wrist, piercing the main artery in his arm. Sensing the danger, Levi grabbed his face with his clawed free hand making him release him. Lucifer then sent him crashing on the ground of an alley of shelves.

"Phew! That was a close call. You almost got me there, Levi."

The Captain didn't respond and took a look at his wrist. The bastard had bit down pretty deep. Any deeper and he'd be trying to contain a hemorrhage. Growling, he quickly ripped the lower part of his shirt and wrapped it around his wrist. He didn't need to loose anymore blood then he already had.

"That won't do you much good."

Lucifer, who was still standing at the entrance of the alley, grabbed the huge shelf on his side and pulled on it as hard as he could. All the others followed down, falling like dominos until the one next to Levi dangerously leaned over him. Seeing how they contained a fair amount of chemical products in glass containers, the damage could be much more than just having a hundred kilogram shelf falling on you. But the ball of reflex that was the angel slammed into the opposite shelf, making it fall backwards in the neighboring alley and allowing him to jump away just in time before the furniture came crashing down along with all the glass containers. The stench that escaped from those made him dizzy. So much that he quickly moved away. Dissolvent. The one Petra had sprayed made the two freaks loose their superior sense of smell. If there was blood around there was no way they could pick up on it anymore. But now with all the extra stuff sprayed out, it was unbearable. Letting out an annoyed 'tch', Levi took off what was left of his shirt and wrapped it around his mouth and nose to limit the effect of the strong smell.

"Why are you running away Captain?" Called out Lucifer's voice. Quick and annoyed footsteps betrayed the fact that he was pacing back and forth impatiently. "We're not playing hide and seek are we?"

'What the hell? Why is he talking instead of attacking? The stench must bother him too. And judging from his voice, he's got nothing to cover his nose. If I wait and force him to come here, I'll have the advantage.'

However, Levi's plan was quickly crushed when he heard the sound of a striking match. His eyes widened in realization. The floor he was stepping on was covered in dissolvent, probably coming from the flasks Petra had broken to mask the scent of her blood. He ran down the alley as fast as he could to escape but not fast enough. The instant the flame touched the liquid on the floor, all hell broke loose almost mimicking an explosion. And Levi felt the flames scorch his back as he ran to escape them. He clenched his teeth in pain as the skin of his back darkened from the heat of the burn. Thank goodness the Scouts uniform was meant to be fire resistant, meaning his pants and boots remained untouched by the flames. He couldn't say the same for his bare skin. It that was usually so pale was now reddish, showing the effects of the heat. A big part of his back was burned. Anyone else would be screaming under the agonizing pain. But the Captain kept running until he reached a safe spot that the fire didn't reach. He panted in exhaustion. That was a close call. He immediately got back on guard when he heard the footsteps approaching and saw the clone stepping out of the cloud of dark smoke.

"Sounds like I'm having grilled angel for diner." Mocked the doppelgänger. "For real though, I'm impressed. You never cease to amaze me."

'That idiot! If Petra closed the trap door, we're toast.'

Lucifer grinned before taking out his claws and dashing towards the wounded angel. His hands slashed through the air as quick as lightening. Limited in speed by his injuries Levi did the best he could to dodge him. He waited for an opening, but the clone didn't seem to have one.

'Guess I'll just have to make one!'

Voluntarily leaving his shoulder opened by fainting pain, Levi tricked and waited for Lucifer to go for it, which he did. And the instant the monster's claws dug into his skin, the Scout Captain ignored the pain with all his might and tore through his own jacket that Lucifer was wearing, also slashing his flank in the process. For the first time since this fight had began, the clone backed off a couple of steps. But Levi didn't give him a chance and threw himself forward, throwing his elbow in his stomach and then punching his solar plexus before reaching for his throat. But Lucifer, somehow not affected too long by the impact of the first hits, swiftly moved out of reach and grabbed his wrist and upper arm before twisting them with a quick and powerful move. This time the Captain couldn't hold back a cry of pain as he felt his elbow dislocate. The clone didn't waste any time coming back at him.

Although he anticipated the worst, he did not expect to be sent flying across the room by a kick to the stomach. Levi knocked out three rows of shelves before his back collided with the wall, making it cave in in the process. The only reason his back wasn't in pieces was by sheer miracle alone. His head was spinning so much he wanted to puke. Even his vision became excessively blurry. The next thing he heard were the footsteps and hysterical laughter of his clone.

"Ha. Haha. Hahaha! Hahahahahahahaha!" Lucifer's eyes were glowing like those of a madman. "So that what happens when I use my full strength with an adrenaline rush. I knew keeping one of those could be useful."

'Damn it... That's why he wasn't feeling any pain whenever I hit him. When the hell did he get his hands on Petra's shot?'

The clone grabbed a part of a shelve that was made of metal and ripped it off the piece of furniture. He was now armed with a metal rod and twisted the top to make it pointy. With another sadistic smirk on his face, he threw his iron spear trough the air until it pierced the Captain's shoulder. Another grunt of pain escaped the Scout's mouth, and before he could even think of doing anything, his doppelgänger was right in front of him. He raised his foot and with it pressed on the weapon until it dug into the wall on the other side, drawing once more painful grunts from the Captain.

"What was it you said before Levi? You were gonna show me how fast you could make me cry? " Said Lucifer, admiring his handy work. When the Captain looked up at him, teeth clenched and eyes throwing daggers, the merciless clone kicked him in the face.

"Looks like our roles our reversed. Ironic really. I warned you : I'm an improved version of you. My stats are way superior to yours. I'm almost as strong as a titan and I still have my brain. But I do feel kind of bad. You were far from being in your top shape. And if I didn't have your jacket and all it's nice little things like that match box, I probably would have stepped into the cloud of chemicals to find you and would've been in a pinch."

Levi was barely listening. The momentum from the fight was gone and he now felt the pain of all the wounds he'd suffered as well as the exhaustion from the blood loss. He was panting and his body shook under the pain he was feeling. The heat from the fire that was devouring the wooden shelves was heating up the whole room and both angels had sweat drops dripping on their heads.

"You know Levi? I might actually miss you. Without you, I wouldn't exist. And I guess I should say thanks for building a life for me. Now how do you want to go? I'll let you choose. But if you let me have fun, I promise to let your brats go. Mostly in one piece that is."

"Go to hell, demon." Let out the Captain throwing him a murderous glare.

"Hahahahahahahah! I'm the demon now? I suppose that's appropriate since I'm about to become you. I can't wait to see their faces when they'll see their Captain return victorious..."

The doppelgänger froze when he saw the original chuckling. "You stupid idiot... how the hell do you expect to fool them? You can't even keep a straight face. They are far less braindead than you."

For a moment, the smile on the crazy angel's face disappeared and he once more kicked Levi in the face, making him spit blood this time. "You have a strange way of enjoying your last moments Captain. Aren't you gonna beg me for a last request? Like not dying burned like a rat? Or having one last look at your little tracker's face?"

"Tch. Don't screw with me." He simply replied.

"I guess I'll choose then."

Lucifer walked over to one of the broken shelves and picked up a case of medical tools that had been put away there. He took a scalpel out of if and returned to face the Captain.

"Your life as a human ended like this didn't it? Under the knife. I think it's a fitting ending for a science freak, don't you think? Don't worry, I won't waste your identity. I'll be sure to enjoy every bit of it."

Clenching his teeth, he angel moved his hands up to the metal rod, but his movements were slow and his hands were still shaking. And he could slowly feel a strong drowsiness starting to take over. 'Shit. I can't move at all...My body's failing me.'

"Search your memories." Said the clone as he flipped the medical knife in his hand. "And ask yourself : which one was your choice with regret?"

'Damn it...'

"I want to see your face for this." Said the madman as he ripped the shirt from his face. He then raised the knife for the coup de grace. "Farewell, Levi."

'Sorry brats... Sorry Kid... '

POW!

The bullet hit the clone in the upper arm, making him drop the surgery tool. He couldn't feel the pain because the effects of the shot were still active, but he found it difficult to move his arm and make it do anything without shaking like a leaf. It must have hit a nerve. The clone stayed frozen for a minute, contemplating his arm before raising his head.

Standing on the other side of the knocked down shelves near the stairs, the ginger was standing, pointing a gun in his direction. She was shaking but wether it was from fear or anger, Lucifer couldn't tell. She was panting. But the hit was probably lucky. A new smile stretched out across the clone's face.

"Welcome back Petra."

* * *

 **Petra's POV**

Blood. He was covered in blood. He had claw marks everywhere. His mouth and nose were bleeding. There was a metal object sticking out of his shoulder. Fear squeezed my heart horribly making it pound like a drum and I thought I was going to choke. Imagining how much pain he was in made two warm tears escape my eyes and drip down my cheeks. My eyes and Levi's met. All I could read in those irises now were exhaustion and pain. The fire that was spreading in the room was the least of my worries. It wasn't suppose to be like this. A chuckle from the clone pulled me out of my contemplation.

"Welcome back Petra." He said, facing her. "Come to see your precious Levi go?"

"You..." My own voice was unknown to me. "What did you do to him?"

"I'm becoming him."

I clenched my teeth. Both fear and anger were fighting to get the better of me. The rage was invading my brain while fear made me want to puke. How could I save Levi?

"Just now, love... that was a lucky shot right?" He asked. "You were actually aiming to kill."

"..."

I didn't dare respond. I needed a plan and quick. As I kept quiet, Lucifer started walking towards me slowly. I reflexively took another shot that hit the wall behind him.

"Called it." He said playfully.

"Shit!" I cursed under my breath.

"Where's your family? Judging from the timing, I'm guessing that they're hiding somewhere down here."

"All you need to know is that they're away from you." I snapped, but at the same time I started taking steps back.

I had no idea how many bullets were in that gun but judging from the weight not much. My guess was two or three. I gulped. Once more I was faced with that monster against who I barely had a chance. I quickly recapitulated the list of things I had left in my mind. I had two adrenaline shots left in my leather pouch. By looking at Lucifer's pupils, I knew where the one I though I'd lost went. And I knew where one of those two left belonged.

"Wanna play tag some more? I'll be happy to oblige. I'm glad you came back, it saves me the trouble of hunting you down. Let's have some more fun, Petra."

'Calm down.' I ordered myself. 'Breath. Wait for him to be close enough. Breath.'

I kept myself from panicking but I couldn't help but back up as he was still approaching. Truth was, I had been aiming for his arm. Because … when I tried aiming for his head, I switched targets at the last second. Because it seemed for a moment that I was aiming at Levi. And if I really had only two bullets left and missed, both the Captain and I would be at his mercy. So I had to play clever and be certain of my tricks. But doing that with how messed up my mind was right now proved difficult. If there one thing that I was sure I could do, it was to aim straight at objects.

"What's wrong? Not gonna put up a fight this time? Come on. I know you have it in you. Won't you entertain your beloved?"

"You're not Levi." I couldn't help saying.

I turned around and started dashing away. Lucifer chuckled in amusement and picked up the pace until he stepped out of the alley. This was going to be fun for him. He started leaning forward, ready to catch his prey in an instant but froze in his movement when I stopped in my tracks and whipped around. There was barely ten meters of distance between the two of us.

'Now!'

I reached for one of the bracelet bombs I had attached to the back of my belt and tossed it at his feet. I raised my gun and the clone's smile disappeared. For the first time since I met him, his eyes widened in panic as he understood. He turned around to get away but I didn't give him the time and fired.

BOOM!

The impact of the explosion was strong enough for me to be pushed back pretty hard against one of the shelves. So for the clone who'd been right next to the device, he was thrown violently against the wall. Strongly enough to cave it in a little. Even if you had super strength that had got to hurt pretty badly. It would've killed me for sure.

'No time to waste!'

I took a deep breath before reaching for one of the remaining disinfectant shots. Detaching the leather pouch that contained the last one from my leg, I tossed it across the room as hard as I could.

"God please! Make it count!" I prayed out loud as I threw it.

'I can't fail. I'm not aloud to fail.'

After checking my gun, I realized that I really did have only three bullets left. The pack of ammo I had left couldn't fit in this gun's magazine so it was useless. I put it back in my holster. And clenched my hand over the syringe. I slowly made my way to the smoky area. Lucifer's chuckle was heard and he walked out of the smoke. He looked like something out of a horror movie. His head was bleeding all over his face and the red liquid was even dripping down his clothes. But he still had that smile. Like a psycho zombie. I felt nauseous.

"That actually hurts. Who knew you had it in you?" He said before wiping the blood off his face which did little else than spread the red. "What's with the face? Why aren't you shooting? Oh that's right. You can't shoot at me. It'd be like killing him."

Damn him for reading me like a book. I tried my best to keep my voice from shaking. "You're fighting me Lucifer."

With that, I plunged the needle in my forearm and injected the last of my adrenaline shots into my system. Once more, all my senses awakened at a hundred percent and I felt a lot more focused.

"And you're going to loose."

Nothing could cancel out the fear, though. If I failed here, we were going to loose everything. And this was my last ace up my sleeves.

* * *

 **Next chapter : the victor will be decided! Who wants to see Petra being clever?**

 **PLEASE REVIEW**


	32. Chapter 32

**A million apologies for the tardiness! I seem to have a chronic disease called writer block. I'm sorry.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Unknown location, Petra's POV**

The clone remained silent for a moment, staring at me straight in the eyes. With the adrenaline pumping through my system, I felt like I could see everything. The fire spreading in the room made it really hot. I was expecting him to start laughing hysterically like whenever he mocked me. But on the contrary he did not smile. His zombie-like appearance was making him more terrifying than ever. After some moments of contemplation his grin finally came back to his face.

"Say Petra. How did he discipline you?"

"Huh?"

"This guy tortured you, kidnapped you, blackmailed you... and yet here you are, back at his feet like a well trained puppy. Why are you attached to someone like that?"

"That's rich coming from you." I replied.

I refused to give him another answer and the satisfaction of making me waste my precious time. I only had a few minutes max before the adrenaline went down and I had to act as fast as pupils retracted, telling me that his adrenaline levels had gone down. And he had one hand on his bleeding side. This was my best shot! I threw myself on him, praying one last time that my plan would work.

I grabbed one of my buckled knifes and tossed it with as much precision as I could muster. Not even he was fast enough to avoid the projectile that planted itself in his foot. Since the adrenaline had now vanished from his system, he could feel pain again. He grunted and almost collapsed as I turned heels and dashed away as fast as my adrenaline shot body allowed me two. With no hesitation whatsoever, I ran in between the row of shelves that were the closest to the fire. To avoid getting too poisoned by the smoke, I ripped part of my shirt under my jacket to tie it around my nose and mouth. It was very strange. Almost like my body was moving on it's own as if I'd drilled practiced this for a long time. I grabbed another one of the bracelet bombs and placed it on one of the shelves.

"Hide and seek again? Really?" Said the voice of the clone, before he coughed loudly. Probably due to the smoke.

He could not sneak up on me in this smoke, it was affecting him too much. Even his footsteps were quick and loud, he was making no effort to hide. But his voice told me he was clearly irritated. I'd been expecting a breaking point for sometime now. He was already unstable but now he was like a wounded dog. "I enjoyed this little game of ours Petra, but right now you're just being a pain. I'll have to discipline you when all of this is over."

I hid behind a shelf from where I had a clear view of the device and took out my gun. "You can still stop all of this Lucifer." I replied, while remaining hidden. The echo in the room shouldn't be enough for him to locate me exactly.

"So that's how desperate you are? To the point of giving me the redemption speech?" He asked as his footsteps got closer.

"You can't become Levi. You'll try to do everything like him and want what he wants but it'll always be just a mask to delude yourself. And the fact remains that the Scouts will never treat you like they treated Levi."

"Why should it matter? All of them will be dead soon enough." I could practically sense the smirk appearing on his face.

"What do you mean?"

"Just before you arrived here, I released the Titans in the lower levels. All of them."

My eyes widened in shock and for a moment, I forgot how to breath. "You did what?"

"I told you I had no use for them, but if they can get rid of the Scouts for me and devour each other I won't mind." He explained as if it was the most natural thing in the world. "I know what kind of face you're making. What's wrong? Even if the Scouts do survive and exterminate them all, do you honestly believe the King will let them loose. They're unpredictable monsters that hold government secrets. I already told you : either way, their fate is sealed."

"NO IT'S NOT!" I shouted, wanting nothing more than for him to shut his mouth.

He chuckled. "Who's lying to themselves now? You're smart, you know that what I'm saying makes sense."

"Smart?" I scoffed. "I'm a tech nerd. There are much smarter people than me in the Scouts when it comes to strategizing. It won't come to that!"

After all, that was the entire reason we decided to betray the Scouts. So that everyone could be saved and returned what they were due. And it was going to work! Everything we'd done would've been for nothing if I stopped believing now. But before I could get to that, I had to do something about our situation here. So I decided to do the one thing I know was the stupidest in the world. Searching through the pocket of the military jacket I was wearing and took out a pocket mirror to watch the angel's movement.

"Give yourself credit, love." Said the clone, his voice louder as he got closer. "You know that the special forces will finish them as soon as they're done with the Titans."

I spoke as loud as I could, giving away my hiding spot. "You know for someone who wants to become Levi, you jump to conclusions way too much."

He smirked and made his way into the alley towards where I was hiding. "Really? Is it too much to assume that you won't be able to shoot?"

He was close enough! I pointed my gun towards the bomb and fired a bullet at it. This time he jumped away to avoid taking the full blast but still got thrown violently into the shelves nearby. The impact blew warm air in every direction making me close my eyes to avoid getting dust in my eyes. When it stopped I realized that the hand holding my gun was shaking. I was not calm and I held my breath waiting for something to move. The explosion had also helped spread out the fire some more. It felt like an eternity was going by but I had this bad feeling in my gut. If I turned my back now, something bad was going to happen. Levi might have called it my woman's intuition. Aside from the cracking of the burning objects and and the flames, nothing. I waited so long that the adrenaline wore off and I felt the sting of my wounds again as well as the piled up exhaustion. As nothing moved still, I turned around to go join Levi when, with a loud roar-like scream resonated throughout the room making me whip around. Out of the burning area emerged the clone holding his face and grunting painfully. His breathing resembled the growls of a snarling dog. His clothes seemed to have remained untouched by the fire, not surprising since he was wearing Levi's uniform vest. I remained paralyzed as he seemed to try to contain an unbelievable amount of pain.

'I should move now. I have to strike while I have the chance!' My mind screamed at me.

But my legs were paralyzed. I couldn't bring myself to approach him... Then he slowly straightened up and turned to me and I stopped breathing. Half of his face was badly burn, he was completely disfigured. And the blood from his earlier cranium wound still leaked on his face. And as if that wasn't enough to make him easily the most monstrous thing I'd ever seen in my life, a smirk crept up his face. This scene was much more unsettling than anything I could've imagined. My heart was beating so fast in my chest I thought I was going to pass out. His eyes... a thousand emotions were burning in them.

"That fucking hurts, love." Were his first words.

In a panic reflex I brought up my gun, as it was apparent to my subconscious too now that that thing in front of me was not Levi, and pulled the trigger. Once, twice, multiple times... but there were no bullets left for me to fire. Only the clicking sound resonated. The clone chuckled.

"I understand now why you're so damn interesting, Petra. You're just unpredictable. I can't believe you pushed me to this point. You're a little disaster... and I think I like it." He licked his lips, wiping the blood that had dripped there and sending shivers down my spine. "It's like I've seen an aspect of you Levi doesn't even know about."

He chuckled some more when I took a step back. "You know at the beginning of the day, I never thought you'd make me use my trump card."

Lucifer slipped a hand in the pocket of his pants and pulled a small test tube that contained a transparent liquid and a very small black dot inside, barely noticeable. He brought it to his lips and gulped it down. Then Hanji's voice rang in my head.

" _The Spider Virus isn't a normal virus. It's a parasite that grows extremely quickly until it's the size a small back ball and then it's branches infect the rest of the system."_

"That was... an S-V..." I let out.

Lucifer's smile widened. "You catch on quickly, I knew you were smart. I've just become a positive. And with the morphochlorine still polluting your blood, all it would take is a single bite."

After another step back, my back hit the wall. On one side was the fire, so I didn't have a choice and ran into the alley of shelve next to mine. That was a mistake. The instant I stepped in, Lucifer pushed the shelves on the other side and I didn't get the time to dodged. It was heavy enough to knock me to the ground. I tried to move it but it was too heavy and at that point, I didn't have my super strength anymore. But panic made it so that I kept trying to free myself. Eventually I wiggled my way out. My leg was killing me though it wasn't broken.

"Need help standing love?"

Lucifer was a step looking down at me. I made a brusk move to stand but the pain and exhaustion didn't give me the speed necessary. The clone grabbed me by the arm and tossed me with ease further in the alley. I landed heavily on my back, my breath getting cut halfway. My lungs burned and I ripped my mouth cover off to get more air in. Before I could regain it, a foot stepped so hard on my elbow that a nasty cracking sound was heard.

"AAAAHHH!" I screamed in pain.

"That's payback." Stated the angel before kneeling over me. "But that's hardly enough to make us even. But there'll be plenty of time for you to repay me when this is all over."

Still agonizing over my perhaps broken elbow, I didn't find anything to reply but looked up at him with tears threatening to leak out of my eyes. Fear was strangling me and my heart wouldn't slow down. I grabbed my remaining buckle knife with my good hand only to have it knocked away instantly. The next thing I knew, he grabbed a handful of my hair pulling it to force me to expose my throat to him. I tried to push him away and shake myself free but it was futile. I just wasn't strong enough. I was certain a mice struggling against a cat wouldn't be far from what this looked like. His grip on my hair was hurting me. Tears of pain finally leaked out as my attempts to get free got weaker and weaker. Despair has a way to affect you at the worst possible moments.

"You done?" He asked. "It's ironic really. This little game you and I have been playing represents exactly our conflict with the Scouts for the past three years. No matter how little their chance at succeeding was, they still fight. And they're still going to loose."

"W...we haven't lost... yet..." I let out, my voice almost a whisper as the pain was chocking me.

He laughed. "My poor naive little Petra. Look at yourself. You're in no position to think of others right now. The moment I taste your sweet blood again, the process will begin. In a few hours you'll go into a month-long coma during which you'll change."

The madman lowered his head towards my bare neck. I felt his breath on my skin and something wet trailed on it sending shivers all over my body.

"Stop. No. Please! Don't!" I begged, my voice turning to a high pitched whisper, punctuated by panting breaths.

"Don't worry though. This SV is one of the Heaven project's. You'll become an angel just like your beloved Levi. Just like me. Isn't it great? You'll get to taste that bitter existence that he's been enduring. Weren't you hoping for that? That he'd take you with him to drown you in that darkness?"

'No. No! That was never what I wanted!' My mind screamed as I seemed to be unable to utter another word. 'I wanted to pull him out of that darkness. I wanted to save him.'

I could've laughed at how pathetic I felt. I searched my memory for where I'd gone wrong? What could I have done better? It was all pointless now. He moved his half burned face above mine to look at me in the eyes.

"When you wake up, I'll show you a brand new world, love."

The clone opened his mouth and his fangs stretched out before he descended his head towards my neck again. I gritted my teeth as I felt the razor sharp points caressing my throat.

Someone. Anyone. Please. Help.

* * *

 **External POV**

He didn't follow everything that happened. His entire body was killing him, and he thought he was about to receive the final blow when he'd heard that gunshot. Levi couldn't hear what they were saying but it was definitely her voice talking to the bastard. That dumbass! Why the hell was she back here? The idiot! He bit his lower lip to keep himself from passing out. The pain allowed him to retain a certain level of consciousness. One explosion told him that the kid had some sort of plan. But she couldn't take him. He was too strong. And the Captain was exhausted. But then he heard the sound of something landing close to him. Forcing his eyes to focus, he looked at what had fallen. It was a leather pouch. The one Four-Eyes had given to all the weirdo squad in case they were bitten by a positive. It wasn't here at random, she'd tossed it. Summoning all the strength that was left in his beat up body, Levi moved as much as that cursed thing in his shoulder aloud him to and extended a foot to bring it closer. In that state, it took a while. Way too long given the situation. In the process, he managed widen the gap in his pierced shoulder. Not that he hadn't had his share of pain in the past but that was particularly unsettling. But the angel finally managed to bring that cursed pouch close enough to reach by hand. Inside was a single syringe. Why the hell did she give him this disinfectant?

"AAAAHHH!"

Her scream made his insides shake in fear. He hesitated no more and injected the needle thing in his neck.

'Come on. Fucking work!'

For a few seconds, nothing happened. Then the pain of the wounds suddenly disappeared and the Captain felt more awake than ever. He grabbed the metal rod with both hands and pulled on it as hard as he could, yanking it from the wall and his shoulder. In an instant he was on his feet and running towards the end of the room. The smoke of the fire spreading was still chocking him but he ignored it. He had more pressing matter at hand. When he finally reached that alley, the mere sight of the clone on top of Petra made him dash towards them and slam into Lucifer pushing him far away from her. Levi felt himself snarl in rage as his doppelgänger. Fangs and claws out, he didn't wait for Lucifer to get up and recover.

After a few minutes of total shock, Petra realized that the monster had been pushed off her. She looked to the side to see the two angels at each other's throat. Both of them bleeding heavily, both of them still fighting with everything they had. She quickly realized that they were pretty much evenly match.

'But Levi's clearly more injured.' She thought. 'The second the adrenaline goes down, Lucifer will have the advantage.'

She looked around and pushed herself to her feet, ignoring the pain in her elbow as best she could. The buckled knife wasn't far. She picked it up before running towards the fighter. Never had Petra been more instinctual in her actions. Without calculating anything, she slid on her knees once she was close enough and stabbed the doppelgänger behind the knee. Lucifer grunted in pain and kicked her in the head. Once more, she found herself on the ground her head ringing and her vision blurry.

"You two are starting to be a real pain in my ass!" Shouted the clone, visibly angry this time.

He dug his claws in Levi's shoulder wound. Sensing the pain again was distracting enough to give Lucifer the time to slash through the Captain's chest and stomach and kicking him down. This time, Levi could feel that standing would require more efforts than the clone would give him the time for. In short if he tried to get up he was dead. It was over. But Lucifer took some time to regain his breath as well and try to stop the bleeding of his side.

"That was scary Levi..." He commented in between heavy breaths. He took the knife out of his leg. "But it's over now... the next move you make will be the last."

The angel Captain didn't reply, but he started crawling with the last of his strength leaving a trail of blood on the ground.

"What are you trying to do? Run away?"

Levi still did not reply and made his way to Petra that had been thrown near the wall. The red-head was breathing heavily, her head still ringing and her vision blurry. But one look at him and she understood that they couldn't fight anymore. Tears of fear and despair escaped her eyes. He leaned on the wall behind her.

"How very knight-like of you, Levi." Mocked the clone. "Making a shield for your loved one with your last breath. But that is pretty stupid. I don't intend on doing anything to her. At least not like this."

"..."

"You're not replying? Doesn't matter either way." Lucifer flipped the buckle knife in his hand and started approaching the two Scouts. "You're out of time, Captain."

"Petra..."

"I suppose whispering the name of your loved one isn't bad as last words."

The clone moved away from the shelves he's been leaning on to regain his breath and slowly made his way towards the Scouts. Levi let out a loud grunt of pain which made the madman smile.

"I'll put you out of your misery." He readied his knife.

POW!

* * *

 **Petra's POV**

When Levi protectively put himself in front of me, I thought it was over and started crying silently. So that was our end? How could we go like this? It wasn't fair! Damn it all! I certainly didn't expect my final moments to be like this. With my boss protecting me while bleeding all over the floor. But then he whispered my name. I looked at him in the eyes and saw that he was looking at the ground in between us. There was my gun. The empty one. I'd used my extra bullets to amplify the blast of the bombs that's why I didn't have any left. That's when I realized that my half naked Captain still had his belt... and ammo packs hanging from it. A spark of hope tingled in my stomach. Very slowly I grabbed one and took out the empty one from the gun. It took every ounce of my concentration to keep my hands from shaking. I inserted the new bullets and at the same time, Levi grunted in pain to hide the clicking sound.

"I'll put you out of your misery." He readied his knife.

Levi grabbed the barrel of the gun I was holding and placed it against his wounded shoulder. It was clear what he wanted me to do but I started shaking again. But Lucifer raising my knife and the determined glare of the Captain left me no choice. I closed my eyes and clenched my teeth before pulling the trigger.

POW!

The silence that followed was unbearable but I refused to open my eyes until my heart beat slowed down. When it did, I risked one eye open. The clone had a look of shock on his face as he looked down to the hole in his chest. Then, like a puppet with cut strings, he fell on his knees, arms and head down.

"Oh my God..." I let out with the breath I'd been holding in.

Levi pulled way a little and glanced behind his back. "Nice work."

I didn't find anything to reply and remained paralyzed still trying to process what had happened. I felt like I'd just gone through a horror movie! Levi's loud coughing brought me back to reality. I realized how close the fire was and forced myself to my feet no matter how much my body protested.

"We have to get out of here!"

Levi did the same but I could tell he wasn't far from passing out. I passed his arm around my shoulders and helped him out. We got out of the underground storage room. Helping him sit, I turned heels but he grabbed my wrist.

"Where are you going?"

"We need to take care of your wounds. I need your jacket."

I raced (raced being an overstatement seeing the state I was in). When I reached Lucifer's body, the fire was almost there. I approached the clone quietly, still fearing that he might move. But he didn't. I still tried to feel his pulse to make sure. It wasn't there. So I grabbed the jacket and pulled it off him as best I could before turning heels and walking away, leaving behind the one that had caused so much pain and torment to the Scouts. Still, I was not able to resist the need to close his eyes before.

I went back up to the upper room but when I saw Levi, I thought my heart was going to stop. His eyes were closed and I realized just how much blood he had on him. I knelt by his side and shook him.

"Levi! Levi!"

His eyes snapped open like I'd just woken him up. I took a breath. "Don't scare me like that."

"Sorry."

I contemplated his bare chest. The wound on his face, the one in his shoulder, the one of his chest and stomach, the gunshot wound in his leg... My stomach turned and I brought my hand to my mouth as I felt nauseous.

"Holy... there... there's so much blood..."

A warm hand gently touched my cheek, and I met sharp grey eyes. They were as serious as ever. "Calm down, kid. None of my vital organs were touched. It's nothing major."

"You call that nothing major! You can still die Levi!" I shouted, before emptying the pockets of his jacket to find what I needed.

It was unbelievable how much he carried with him. With shaking hands, I proceeded to stop the bleeding of the major wounds. Never in my life had I been confronted to that much blood. I felt like I'd just been asked to perform a life threatening surgery. It took everything I had to keep myself from passing out. But as I bandaged him, he spoke to me, guiding my movements. He was so much more beat up than me. He was on the verge of death for heaven's sake and he was still reassuring me! I didn't realize that tears had been dripping from my eyes until he raised a hand to wipe them.

"Don't sweat it kid."

"I'll sweat it if I feel like it!" I growled back, I I quickly wiped my tears and continued bandaging his waist and shoulder. "You nearly died in there! Twice! Maybe it's just another Tuesday for you, but I've never been so scared in my life! You...you made me shoot you!"

"Through me." He corrected, calmly.

"Same difference!" I took a breath to try and calm down. "Do me a favor and at least look a little more concerned for yourself..."

"..." He didn't reply for a moment before speaking again. "You shouldn't have come back."

"DON'T FUCKING SAY THAT!" I shouted, breaking my own anti-swearing policy.

"Thanks for saving my life Petra."

That shut me up for a moment and of course, only served to triggered more tears. My face was so hot, I thought it was going to melt. I focused on my task, my hands still trembling. When I finally finished, I pulled back to check my work.

"How...how's that?" I asked.

He took a breath and tried standing. Moving around a little he tested the limits of his body and the resistance of the bandages. "It'll do fine."

But will he was the real question? He sat back down next to me and grabbed my arm. I flinched when my elbow protested. I'd forgotten about that. Taking what was left of the bandage, he wrapped it around my joint.

"It's not broken or dislocated but you might have pulled something."

"I can deal with this much."

My head felt heavy. So heavy. I wanted to pass out but I couldn't allow that. We weren't done yet. I leaned against the wall and breathed slowly while forbidding myself to close my eyes. Meanwhile, he put his jacket back on.

"Petra." Called out Levi. "We have to move soon."

"Yeah, I know."

I couldn't believe that he was saying that when I could barely imagine myself standing and I wasn't half as wounded as he was.

"I'm useless in my state," he continued. "I lost too much energy and blood."

I suddenly understood what he meant and turned my head to look at him in the eyes. He had the serious glare still but at the same time, there was plea. It was exactly like he'd said before the mission started. In the bigger picture, her was a much more important pawn on the chess board than I was. I was a pawn and Levi, a knight. If one had to be sacrificed, it was me. I brought my hands and unbuttoned my jacket removing it entirely, leaving me in my ripped tank top.

"Can I ask for a favor?" He looked at me, listening intently. "Take as much as you want but... please don't leave me behind after."

It turned out to be a plea more than a favor. The tear dripping down my cheek confirmed that. He looked at me with a sad expression this time. All the cards were in his hands. I know it was useless to make him promise. Even if he said it, if that wasn't what he wanted then he'd leave me. As he didn't reply, I thought he'd made up his mind. He pulled me closer to him until my legs were over his. One arm snaked around my waist, while the other moved my hair out of the way. I shivered when I felt his breath on my skin and goosebumps appeared all over it. I clutched his jacket.

"Levi...please." I said again, wanting him to truly consider my request but knowing full well he had and that his decision was already taken.

As I expected he did not reply and instead licked the bite mark that had been burning me all this time. My whole body tensed up and I felt my face heating up even more than before. I was terrified. Terrified of being left behind. Terrified of being abandoned and miss my shot at saving them. Saving him.

"Please Levi..." I begged as more tears escaped my eyes.

He remained silent. But his hold on me tightened making me feel like I was going choke on my own supplication as he kept licking the wound.

"Levi..."

Then I felt his fangs sink in my flesh and let out a cry of pain. I reflexively tried to push him away, but he was too strong for me. And he needed this. As the blood left my body, my pulse and heartbeat accelerated and I panted. Being drained was the worst sensation ever. Add the fear of being left behind and it was a nightmare. My head started spinning faster and faster and the sound of him swallowing my blood became loud and tortuous. My sight became blurry and soon darkness came over me. My last thoughts were a silent prayer.

* * *

 **Levi POV**

I stopped the moment she passed out and licked the bite mark to stop the bleeding. Then I moved her so she'd have her head on my lap. I needed more time for the body to really take in the blood. But I felt a lot more awake. The thing that pissed me off the most was that I had no way to contact Erwin and get a report on the situation. Not that I didn't trust him or Four-eyes. My eyes fell on her again.

"You really are an idiot kid."

" _How does it feel to be loved?"_

"Tch. Even dead you can't fucking leave me alone."

Now was really not the time to think of mushy bullshit. I closed my eyes to rest without falling asleep. But barely audible vibrations caught my ears. It was coming from Petra's pocket. I frowned and reached inside her pocket and pulled a weird electronic device that was emitting vibrations. I instantly identified morse code.

* * *

 **I was going to say finally some rest for our OTP but...**

 **PLEASE REVIEW**


	33. Chapter 33

**Hey guys! Sorry about the delay...yet again. I was enjoying my vacation a little too much and forgot about you guys. Apologies!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Reiss castle**

Jean and Krista dashed through the hallways of the Royal Family's residence as fast as they could until they reached the one leading to the office of the King. However, two guards at the entrance wearing the uniform of the Special Forces stopped them.

"We're here to see my father." Said Krista as she tried to catch her breath.

"I'm sorry, your Highness." Replied one of them. "The King is busy with a very important meeting right now."

"It's just as important!" Said Jean. "The whole castle and everyone in it is in danger! We don't have time for this! Let us through!"

"I'm sorry, I can't." Replied the guard, unwavering. "We were ordered to let no one through."

"Who ordered you?" Asked Krista.

"Pardon?"

"Who ordered you to keep everyone from entering?" Repeated the short girl louder.

The two guards looked at each other slightly confused as to what the illegitimate princess was getting at. The second one turned to her and frowned in mistrust. "Colonel Kirstein."

"Hold up." Said the first one taking a closer look at Jean. "Aren't you his kid?"

"As a representative of royalty, I order you to let me in." Declared Krista interrupting them, and shoving a finger in their face. "This matter is urgent and requires immediate action! I can't stand by while and let it happen! If you cherish your city, then you will let me in!"

The guards seemed disconcerted and hesitated, looking once more at each other, ignoring what to do. But the door suddenly opened from the inside. An old man wearing a military uniform stepped out. He was bald and had a mustache. The three roses on his chest symbolized that he was the head of the Garrison, also known as the City's Police Force. Both teens tensed up. Thanks to Marco they knew that Darius Zackley was working with the enemy. What about Commander Dot Pixis? The old man smiled sweetly at them.

"Well hello there. You two are making quite a ruckus out here. I take it you have an excellent reason for disturbing the King's meeting, even if you are a royal, Historia."

Despite his gentle tone, his words were reproachful. Krista looked at him in the eyes for a long minute. All her life she'd known this man. When her mother died and her father had decided to make her live in the castle with the rest of his children, she'd been shunned and hated for what she was. But Dot Pixis... as far as she could remember he'd always smiled at her. He'd always been kind to everyone. The Captain of the Scouts appeared in her mind. She remembered him saying something about decisions being taken on the spot. That he never knew what the right answer was, but sometimes you just had to choose. So the bastard daughter of the King decided to go with her guts and put faith in the old Commander.

"It's about the Scouts." She said earning herself the stunned glare of Jean. "And no, it can't wait."

For the first time since she'd know him, Pixis let surprise show on his face for a few seconds. Then, regaining his composure, he smiled again and moved out of the way. "Come in."

The two companions rushed inside. The room was pretty big and there was a long rectangle-shaped table that could fit thirty people. However, only five not including themselves occupied it. Dot Pixis, Commander of the Garrison. Darius Zackley, army supervisor, was handcuffed to a chair. Colonel Antoine Kirstein. Henry Aust and finally, the King. The Colonel rose from his seat when he saw his son.

"Jean!"

"Historia, what are you doing here?" Asked the King with a serious look. "I'm very busy, I don't have time..."

"You'll want to hear her out your Majesty." Said Pixis calmly. "It concerns what we were discussing."

"We know about the Scouts!" Exclaimed Jean.

Both Henry Aust and the King stood up as well and stared shocked at the princess and her friend, while the Colonel of the Special Forces looked simply confused. "How could you possibly..."

"We'll explain later!" Interrupted the short blond. "Dok and Woerman were found and eliminated. But they made a new project..."

* * *

 **Petra's POV**

It took me a while to understand why I was leaning on the ground. Even after opening my eyes. So I closed them again and try to make my brain work, which was no easy task since it felt like my neurons had been turned to marmalade. It all slowly came back. Our fight. The fire. I'd killed Lucifer. Levi was badly wounded. He'd needed my blood. And then I passed out. I suddenly remembered that he hadn't actually answered my question. My eyes snapped open again and I quickly sat up. I was still in the room above where we'd fought with Lucifer. I frantically looked around the room until I spotted Levi. He was leaning on the wall his arms crossed on his chest and looking at me.

"Levi." I let out as a smile of relief stretched out across my face.

But it quickly disappeared when I saw the glare the Captain was throwing at me. "Your awake. Good."

He pulled away from the wall and walked towards me, his sharp irises throwing daggers at me. Enough to make my heart jump. When he was only a foot away from me, he raised and opened his hand, presenting my SpyBug. My eyes widened and I stopped breathing.

"P. SASHA AND CONNIE ARE ON THEIR WAY. HANG IN THERE. That was the last coded message." He informed me.

I opened my mouth to say something, but my voice died in my throat along with the thoughts in my head. I closed it and tried opening it again, hoping the right words would. But before I could say anything, Levi grabbed me by the collar, forcing me to my feet and pushed me backwards until I tripped against the iron bar of the edge of the military bed and landed on it.

"Explain. Now." He ordered with a deep voice, very slowly, his face only inches from mine.

His breathing was heavy though. He was trying to control it, but the anger behind it was real. If glares could kill, then I would be dead. I opened my mouth yet again to answer.

"I...I..." Was all I mattered to stutter out.

"Who sent that message?"

"M-Marco."

"Then am I right to assume that you're communicating with your friends behind my back?"

I looked away as I felt drops of sweat appearing on my forehead. But lying was useless at this point. Then I nodded.

His glare seemed to intensify and he let go of my collar to reach near my throat. I felt his claws slide on my neck when they came out. My entire body tensed up and I gripped the edge of the lips shut tightly were still quivering. He wasn't strangling me, not yet at least. But he was pressing hard enough on my chest to make it difficult for me to breath.

"Why?"

"I... I..." I couldn't. Not now. He would stop me. He would foil my plan. And I would loose all of them. I couldn't. "I ...can't tell you. I'm sorry."

It came out as a chocked whisper. Of course the answer only served to make him even more nervous and he started closing his hand around my neck. This time though, he clenched his teeth and I could see it in his eyes. The pain. The pain of betrayal. In reaction to that, two warm tears escaped the corners of my eyes.

"What's your goal? Be very, very careful about what you're going to answer next."

I took a few deep breath and closed my eyes to look for the right answer. He didn't urge me, but the atmosphere became thicker and thicker. When I opened them, he hadn't even blinked, his eyes still on me. Then I realized there was only one thing he needed to know.

"I'm not your enemy."

"You call that a fucking answ...?"

"I can't tell you what I'm doing!" I interrupted almost shouting. "I'm asking for your trust. Just this once. When everything is over, I'll tell you everything and you can do whatever the hell you want to me. I won't run, I swear. But please. This one time, this only time, please trust me!"

He remained silent. The tension in his face had softened but not disappeared. His eyes never left me. Then the angel looked down, and I realized I was still in my tank top. He scanned my bare skin or more precisely my injuries. I had a nice collection of bruises and cuts not to mention the bite marks on my neck and my half-dislocated elbow. My face suddenly heated up and despite my best efforts, I became redder than a tomato. But I refused to look away. He needed to see in my eyes that I wasn't lying. It was hard to be credible with my teary eyes and red face, though. After an eternity of silence, he removed his hand from my neck and pulled away. Levi stood up and went to grab my jacket that had been left on the floor. I sat up, waiting. He gave it to me and while I put it on, he presented me with the SpyBug. I quickly grabbed it.

"Thank y..."

The angel didn't give me the time to finish and grabbed the back of my head and pressed my forehead against his.

"You know what happens if you go too far Petra." He reminded me. "Don't forget it."

"I'm ready for whatever consequences my actions will bring." I assured, my voice still shaking.

"Don't forget Petra. I won't hesitate."

"I understand that. And I already told you. I won't run."

There clearly wasn't an anymore obvious way to say that I was up to something. And if I knew that, then Levi definitely did too. Despite that, he'd decided to trust me. Which from my point of view was ridiculous. I wouldn't trust me. The Captain checked the content of his vest, to see what he had. We only had one gun for two now.

"How's the head?"

Now that he mentioned it, I realized that my brain was about as functional as when I first woke up. I tried standing up and had to sit back down just as quickly. "Dizzy."

Levi tossed me an energy bar that we all had in our uniform jackets, as well as a small gourd. I quickly ate. Once finished he turned his back to me and knelt down, offering to carry me.

"What are you..."

"We can't waste anymore time here. Get on."

"Are you insane?" I exclaimed, shocked. "Your back is scorched! I you carry me, the friction will..."

"Kid, do you want to tag along or not?" He interrupted. "Then shut up and get on."

"But what if we're attacked?"

"Then I'll drop you. Move it"

Feeling the impatience in his voice, I took the order and climbed on his back. And just like that, the blood just rushed back to my face. Thank God this time I wasn't facing him. After a quick careful peek out in the empty hallway, he started walking at a fast pace.

"H-how's the nose ?" I asked, uncertain if he wanted to start a conversation.

"The sense of smell is coming back slowly. Gotta admit, spraying dissolvent in the room was pretty clever."

"Didn't help you too much though..." I said, feeling a wave of guilt come over me.

"I'd be dead if you hadn't." He replied nonchalantly.

Silence fell on us again. Despite the fact that he had borderline discovered my treachery, he remained the Captain of the Scouts. His face was neutral, he spoke to me like he always spoke and he seemed extremely calm and in control. The thing I found off suddenly hit me. With my chest pressed against his back, I could feel his heartbeat. It was fast and pounding hard. It betrayed an unbelievable storm inside. I knew it. He was uncertain. No wonder after he discovered my doing behind his back.

"Levi." I said, unconsciously tightening my arms around his neck. "I'm not your enemy."

He remained silent, purposely ignoring my question. I just took it as a nice hint to stay quiet.

"Ask Sherlock for an update on the situation."

"Okay."

Once more I sent a morse coded message. L.U.C.I.F.E.R – D.E.A.D – U.S- O.K- S.C.O.U.T.S – S.T.A.T.U.S.

The answer came almost instantaneously. I decoded the morse in my head and my eyes widened in worry. Levi must felt me tensed up because after a few minutes he asked. "What's wrong?"

"All the Squads are on the last level. They're fighting the titans that Lucifer released."

"How do you know that the bastard released them?"

"He told me himself."

"Son of a bitch." Growled the angel Captain in his teeth. "Can you stand?"

He put me down and I tested my balance with a couple of steps. My head was still spinning but not as bad as before. I nodded and we both started running. He was adjusting his speed to me so that I could still keep up and I was grateful for that. I slammed into him when he abruptly stopped. I listened. Quick footsteps were getting closer. Having spend a lot of times with the Scouts, I knew that angels and titans had a slightly faster walking and running rhythm than humans. And they resembled exactly what we were hearing. I could tell there was more than one.

"Two of them." Muttered Levi, in position. "One with much heavier footsteps. Hold your breath."

One hand on my mouth and nose, I remained as still as possible. The footsteps got closer and closer. Levi threw himself on the first person that showed up, tackling them to the ground. They grunted and the angel Captain froze when he recognized them.

"Ugh, what the hell?" Growled Connie, before opening his eyes. "C-Captain?"

"Connie." Saluted Levi before helping him back up. "You two sure took your sweet time."

"Sorry about that, Sir." Said the angel grinning. "Glad to see you both in one piece."

The heavier footsteps obviously belonged to Sasha, but when she came in sight she wasn't alone. "Thank goodness, you two are alright. I was so worried. And we found someone on our way back."

My eyes widened in shock when I saw who she was carrying on her back. He was covered in scratch marks just like Levi. But he was also alive. "Hello Captain. Hi Petra." Said Thomas. "I told you I'd be fine."

Tears of relief escaped my eyes and I hugged him the instant Sasha put him down. "I'm so glad you're okay."

He chuckled. "Yeah, me too. I don't think I've ever been so scared."

"Okay brats, enough chit-chat." Said Levi giving us our well-needed reality check. "We still got a job to , can you run?"

"I think so. Most of my injuries are to my upper body."

"Good. Sasha, Connie. While we move, give me details about the situation."

"Sir!"

"Let's move!"

* * *

 **Entrance of the sub-garage**

The group composed of a hundred and fifty men stood in orderly fashion in front of the just uncovered entrance of the clandestine floors. In front of them were the King, Henry Aust, Historia, Jean accompanied by Orion and Eska at his feet and of course, Colonel Kirstein.

"Listen up boys, because I won't repeat twice!" Declared the Colonel with a booming voice so that all the men could hear. "What I'm about to tell you is going to sound absolutely ridiculous. Impossible even. But take it as the hard truth. Behind this door is another garage, identical to this one. When we reach the last floor, we will see monsters."

The men didn't move, attentive to every word coming out of there commanding officer's mouth. "When I say monsters, I do not mean it in a metaphorical way. These monsters were once people. They have claws and fangs. Eyes shining in the dark. And are as quick like snakes. Some of them are wearing black uniforms, same as the one worn by this young man here." He pointed at Jean. "Those are on our side. They are a secret section of our government known as Scouts. Those who do not wear the uniform are no longer capable of understanding human speech. They have the strength of ten men each. To top it all of they lust for blood. They can and will attack you to get yours!"

As professional as ever, the men still didn't budge. But shock was visible on their faces. They knew that the Colonel was incapable of joking like this. So it had to be true. None of them wanted to believe it, and truth be told, none of them would until they saw it with their own eyes. But none of them made any move to back out.

"I assure you this is no joke, gentlemen. Our objective is simple. Bring aid to the Scouts and terminate these abominations with extreme prejudice!"

Krista couldn't help but admire how calm and collected the Colonel was. He'd only been told minutes ago about the existence of the Scouts, and yet he spoke like he'd known all along. She understood that it was the only way to inform the Special Forces without having them panic. Unbeknownst to her, Jean was thinking the same thing. In these moments, he understood just how incredible his father was and he was proud to be his son.

"Any questions ?"

"Sir!" Said one man taking a step forward. He seemed confused. "Are the children joining us Sir?"

"No. His Majesty, Mr Aust, and the two of them will join with us after the ordeal is over." Both had been forbidden from following. "Anymore questions? Good."

The Colonel turned to Krista who nodded before bringing her hand to her earpiece. "Krista to Navigators."

" _Commander Erwin here. I'm listening."_

"The Special Forces are heading out now. I'm putting you in touch with Colonel Kirstein."

" _Roger. Thank you Krista._ "

With that, the King's illegitimate child handed her communication device to the head of the Special Forces who then led his men into the sub-garage with the dogs.

'Hang in there you guys!' Prayed the girl inside. 'We're coming.'

* * *

 **Lowest clandestine floor**

"YMIR! LOOK OUT!" Shouted Gunther, shooting the titan attacking the only normal of the group and successfully hitting it in the head.

"Damn it all!" Cursed Ymir as she injected herself with her fifth disinfectant shots. "Is there no end to these freaks?!"

Despite having the Female Titan protecting her on Eren's command, their numbers were large enough to have some getting through and biting her. The bleeding from the bite marks didn't help to contain the swarm of monsters. They were like a weird mix of zombie and vampires. They were dressed in hospital clothes. They still had the appearance of humans, aside from the fangs and claws. The Scouts that were out of bullets fought with theirs, which resulted in pretty bloody one on ones. Eren had the most kills for now. His Alpha skill gave him the possibility to freeze the titans that attacked him long enough for him to finish them. But no more than two at the time and that still wasn't enough. Although their defense strategy was the best, thanks to their brains named Erwin, Armin and Marco, the titans were just too many. And their ammo was running out.

"Screw this!" Shouted Oruo. "Commander! We're loosing down here!"

" _Hang in there, soldiers! Help is on it's way!_ " Replied the voice of Erwin in his earpiece.

The Lieutenant cursed. This bloodbath was going to claim a lot more of them if help didn't show up right now!

* * *

 **Meanwhile...**

On our way down to the final floor, our small crippled group was running as fast as it could. Connie was giving details to Levi about what they last heard before leaving. At the same time, the SpyBug in my pocket started vibrating again. I decoded. I stayed attentive as the message took a moment to understand fully. Part of it was for me alone. The other half however...

"Levi!" I shouted.

"Talk."

"They're in trouble!"

He gritted his teeth. "Tch. Move it!"

"They've locked themselves in the lab with the titans." I continued, relaying Marco's message while speeding up, ignoring my aching body. "We need to use the ventilation shafts from the hallways to get in."

As soon as we found one, Levi ripped the grill off the wall and we stepped inside, walking on all four to get there faster. The glutton was leading us, I imagined due to her extremely sensitive sense of smell. We'd been moving for a few minutes when we started hearing the gunshots and inhuman roars. Light finally appeared at the end. Sasha ninja kicked the grill out. Indeed inside the battle between the Scouts and the Titans was intense. My stomach turned when I saw all the bloody corpses on the ground. Not all were titans. There was a good five meter between the vent and the ground.

"Sasha! Connie! Go, now!"

The Scout's two best hunters didn't need to be told twice. Both jumped the five meters and landing with the agility of cats, and dashed into the brawl, fangs and claws out as well as utter rage burning their eyes. She slammed into one of the monster, grabbing it around the waist.

"Connie!"

The titan raised a hand to break her back but the bald angel arrived at lightening speed and slashed it's throat, nearly decapitating it. I'd seen those two spar many times and mess around. Never had I imagined that they could be this vicious in actual battle. One thing for sure, they made an irreplaceable combo. They knew how to use their claws as well as their guns and they knew how to move together to have each other's backs. Levi turned to me and grabbed my chin as well as my attention.

"You. stay. here. Is that clear?"

"What? But..."

"You're too weak right now. You won't last a minute down there. Not to mention you're prime meal for the monsters."

"You're just as beat up as me if not worse!"

"I got my fill thanks to you." Releasing my face he left his gun and ammo in my hands. "You want to help you, do it from here. You'll be killed the instant you step down here. Don't move from this spot. Thomas watch her."

"Yes, Sir."

The angel Captain threw me one last glare that paralyzed me and sent shivers all over my body. And with that he jumped down and just like Connie and Sasha, threw himself in the hoard of Titans. The only difference was that he killed one with each strike. I couldn't believe it. Was that the guy that had been dying an hour ago? Thomas got my attention as he reloaded his own gun. Right, I was aloud to help. I wasn't as good as Nanaba but I knew I could aim straight.

* * *

As the intense battle led on, Levi manage to make a bloody trail through the monsters enough to see one of his Lieutenants. "ELD! EARPIECE!"

The Lieutenant tossed it without a second thought and he put it on instantly. "Erwin! Sherlock! Talk to me!"

" _Captain, listen!_ " Immediately responded Marco's voice. " _No time to explain in detail. You're an Alpha, you should have the power to control them!_ "

"What?"

" _Eren's one too. He's been controlling the Female Titan all this time. Mainly he just shouts at her and she obeys._ "

He sighed after slashing another across the stomach. "This better fucking work Sherlock."

* * *

I fired each shot with as much precision and speed as I could. I'd managed to hit four and Thomas five. But both of us got interrupted in our movements by a loud sound that resonated in the lab. It resembled a mix of a cat's hissing and a low growl. The next thing we knew, movement had ceased in the entire room, be it Scout's or Titans. Everyone was frozen.

"What in the world?" I let out.

The Titans slowly started moving again but not to attack. They were gathering around... the Captain. Slowly, as if they'd lost interest in the Scouts present, all moved to form some sort of circle around him. The Angels reached for their guns but one hand gesture from Levi ordered them to hold it. The monsters were growling at him, as if they were angry but at the same time, they kept a safe distance from the Angel. He was glaring at them. Keeping an eye on all, including his brats. In that silence, it felt like my beating heart was the loudest thing in the world. Drops of sweat dripped down my face. Levi started moving slowly, luring the titans away from the Scouts towards the far end of the cave. We all prepared our guns, ready to act...

BOOM!

The delicate silence that had been ruling the atmosphere got blasted to pieces along with the lab door that had apparently been opened with the help of a bomb. Men wearing the Special Forces uniform entered. I recognized Colonel Kirstein.

"SCOUTS!" Shouted Jean's father. "HIT THE GROUND!"

With that the soldiers fired at the group of Titans gathered where Levi was.

"LEVI!" I shouted, horrified.

Lucky the Captain had insane reflexes. Such as using a titan as a shield as he dashed towards the tanks and jumping behind it to avoid getting torn to pieces. The monsters tried to attack again but the Scouts were faster this time and finished off those who had escaped the rain of bullets. I realized that not one of them attempted to run away. Truly they were monsters. No consideration for others or themselves. It was hard to imagine they'd once been human. When the firing died down and it seemed that all the titans had been dealt with, there was another moment of silence. The Scouts regrouped to face the soldiers of the Special forces. I couldn't blame the soldiers for their unease. The people in front of them had claws, fangs and were covered in blood from head to toe.

"Hey." I said grabbing Thomas's shoulder. "Let's get down there."

"Right."

He grabbed me by the waste before jumping down. We joined the group of Scouts. Levi and the lieutenants were in front facing the Colonel.

"Colonel Kirstein." He introduced himself. "I command the Special Forces."

"Levi. I'm these brat's babysitter. You have to search the place, we can't have any of them escape."

"Don't worry, my men are on it. We found some in the canyon and two levels above and all the exits are covered. With the dogs, they won't be able to get away." He glanced at the group of teenagers bathed in blood and covered in wounds. His eyes widened when he spotted me. "Petra?!"

"Hi Colonel." I said, feeling the awkwardness. "Thank you for the save."

He sighed. "I should've known. The five of you are involved aren't you?"

"It's a long story Sir."

"And I expect to hear the full explanation once this is over."

"Sorry to cut in the conversation." Said Hanji taking a step closer. "Mind if we look after our wounded?"

"Do as you need to. We'll provide the medical material if needed. But I'll ask you all to remain here."

Remain here? So Marco and Lucifer had been right all along. Jean and Krista had to hurry so we could prepare before the worst happens. It would be my turn to exact my plan soon. I had to be prepared.

The Scouts and I started picking up the wounded. Ymir came to me and asked if I was alright. As well as discreetly giving me her SpyBug. We shortly chatted before looking ourselves for wounded. I amongst the bodies, I found Hannah's torn by claw and bite marks. I closed her eyes and prayed for the peace of her soul a moment. A grunt further made me see look up.

"Nanaba!" I called out rushing to her side. "Where are you hurt? Do you know who I am?"

"I-I'm okay... But I think my arm is broken."

"Here, let me help." I said extending my arms, and missing the shadow creeping up behind me.

The blond angel's eyes widened in panic. "PETRA, LOOK OUT!"

I didn't get the time to turn around. Something grabbed me from behind with insane strength and sank it's fangs into the flesh of my shoulder through my clothes. Someone fired a gun and the titan fell down, dead.

The pain was atrocious but my own throat chocked my scream. Everything slowed down and I found that I couldn't hear well. I could discern people screaming and calling my name. I started shivering but my body was on fire. That dizziness was familiar. I'd felt sick like that before. That time when Levi kidnapped me for the first time... I fell on my knees as breathing became harder. That time I got infected...was the same. Someone shook me, but their voice was unclear.

"Petra! Petra can you hear me?"

"I'm ...sleepy..."

I felt myself fall forward.

* * *

 **I am so sorry...**

 **PLEASE REVIEW!**


	34. Chapter 34

**Hi guys! I don't know what's up with me but I am on fire lately!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Even though I knew that I'd fallen down on the hard stone ground with my whole weight, I didn't feel it. My entire body seemed to have gone numb. I heard someone, Nanaba maybe, call out my name. But it was barely audible enough to me. Contrary to the first time where my body slowly burned up, this time, it had reached hot temperatures extremely fast and was now progressively getting colder and colder. I was sleepy, yet voices kept calling out to me, keeping me from my sleep. They were annoying and wouldn't go away. I was tired I wanted to sleep. But even my eyes wouldn't close, and everything around was blurry. I saw black shapes with unclear faces gathering around me. My vision suddenly shifted and I felt the sting of warmth on my cheek. Again. And again. And again.

* * *

"No, no, no, no no!" Shouted Hanji. slapping the infected girl again. "She's going into hibernation! It shouldn't be happening so fast. Petra! Listen to me! You need to stay awake!"

"Let...me...sleep... so... tired..."

"Someone help me get her jacket off!" Ordered the head of the science branch.

Rico rushed to the Squad leader's side and to avoid wasting time, slashed the jacket off with the help of her claws. The members of the Special Forces, including the Colonel stared petrified at the sight of the girl in front of them getting gradually paler and shaking like she was having an epileptic seizure.

"What on God's earth is going on?" Asked the Colonel to no one in particular.

He got no answer. All the Scout's eyes had turned to them, trying to process what had just happened. Eren averted his eyes from Annie as well, loosing focus for only an instant. The Female Titan, as if finally freed from invisible chains, hissed similarly to the Captain before dashing towards the only escape route there was. The vent. A couple of soldiers fired at her, only for their bullets to bounce off her crystal armor. The Colonel sent some of his men after her, but the Scouts were too busy, finishing off the remaining titans, getting their wounded away from the corpses or gathering around the infected one.

"What do we do Hanji?" Asked Rico, trying to hold Petra still.

Ymir pushed the Scouts in the way and reached inside her leather pouch in order to take out her remaining disinfectant shot. The ex-junkie quickly injected her friend in the shoulder with it. The effect was suppose to be immediate. However, the shaking didn't stop and her skin kept going paler and paler.

"What the hell? Why isn't it working?!"

Hanji confirmed her suspicions when she saw that Petra's leather pouch was missing as well as the few numbers of recent bite marks on her skin. She'd already used all of them. "Levi, did she get bitten?" She asked turning to the Captain that had joined them.

"Only by Lucifer. She used the shots for energy."

"Damn it all!" Cursed Squad Seraphim's leader, punching the ground. "She built an immunity to the disinfectant! The only way is to remove the SV, but..."

"But what Four-eyes?!"

"But she had morphochlorine in her system. The moment that thing bit her, the SV merged with her nerves. Even if I had the right tools, I wouldn't be able to take it out." A look of utter despair appeared on the face of the woman. "There's nothing we can do. It's too late."

For once, for the first time since the Scouts had been brought together, the Angels saw a look of shock in the eyes of their Captain. Levi clenched his teeth, looking at the girl at his feet. Her breathing was deep and quick, like she wasn't getting enough air. He met her eyes. They were looking back at him, empty. She was slipping, already halfway gone. If nothing was done now, she would become one of them.

"What if the nerves are removed with it?" Asked the Captain.

"Hold up, are you suggesting..."

"CAN IT WORK HANJI?!" Shouted the Captain.

The head of the science branch read his eyes. Anything was better than to become one of these filthy creatures that they'd have to shoot. If she became a titan, they'd have no choice but to kill her. So it was this or death, there was no other choice. Hanji had tried. Tried for so long to revert them back to their human states... only to hit dead ends time and time over. There was no going back. And if Angels weren't going back, there was no way Titans could. So she couldn't promise that if she tried to stop the progress of the virus she could. This was the only way to save her for sure.

"It should." She replied to the Captain. "If she feels pain, it means that you got it."

Without wasting a second, the Captain knelt down next to Petra, pulled her closer to him her back facing him and uncovered her shoulder where the Positive had bitten her. Hanji and Rico held her by the arms to keep her still. After contemplating the wound, Levi closed his eyes for a second, praying to God if He existed that just this once, He helped. And then, he bit over the mark left by the Titan. She didn't react, nor did her numb body even flinch when his fangs pierced in her skin. So he bit down, deeper. A flow of blood escaped the wound and dripped down her skin, covering her shoulder in liquid red. He wasn't drinking it. He didn't want it. And so the blood kept leaking as he went deeper in her flesh to find the virus, under the gazes of everyone, holding their breaths.

* * *

The shapes were shaking me, moving me... They wouldn't let me sleep. Closing my eyes to ignore them wasn't working. Why didn't they want me to sleep. I wanted to forget the cold. I wanted the blur to go away. I wanted them to be quiet so I could go to sleep. Why was nothing stopping? A slight pinch started to appear on my shoulder. Maybe...Maybe I wasn't suppose to go. Where was I going in the first place? Oh, right. Somewhere quiet. Somewhere I could rest. Was it wrong for me to go there? Was that why they wouldn't let me go? The pinch suddenly became more noticeable. It was even more bothersome than the voices calling me now. I tried moving to shake off the feeling, but it just wouldn't go away. The voices suddenly became clearer. I couldn't make out much but heard my name. Hanji? Again, the pinch became harder impossible to ignore. This time I heard a pounding. A heavy pounding that was making my head hurt. It gradually became faster. I realized that it was my heartbeat. Had it stopped for me to hear it so loud now? I opened my eyes and found that the blur was still there. Shivers then travelled through my body, and it took me a moment to realize that it was because my pinched shoulder was heating up. It hit me that being cold was not comfortable. The people calling out were right. Something was wrong. I shouldn't be going away. And suddenly, the pressure of the pinch became the tearing of my flesh. In an instant everything caught up to me. My sensations, my thoughts, my vision and above all... the pain.

"You got it!" Shouted Hanji. "Now Levi! Do it!"

My throat started burning me and air escaped my lungs at an unbelievable speed. A horrible gut wrenching sound resonated in the lab and I realized that I was screaming. The pain was unlike anything I'd experienced before, be it cutting, hitting or biting. I struggled against the grip of whoever was holding me. The pain reached it's peak and I felt like someone had covered my wound in vodka and set fire to it. I was finally released and fell forward ending up on my knees and faced against the ground. A river of tears was streaming down my face, mixing with my sweat. My shoulder was hurting so badly that I kept releasing ugly whimpering and grunting sounds. Something thick leaked on my upper arm. Shaking, I brought my hand to my wound. But as I touched my shoulder... I felt a hollow. My eyes widened in shock and I slowly turned my head to look. But a hand quickly covered my eyes.

"Don't look." Ordered the voice.

"Levi..." I said, my voice broken from screaming. "What...?"

"Take it easy. I removed the SV from your system." He said slowly. "You're safe."

"You..."

"I took out the nerves and tissue that it was attached to. I'm sorry."

He'd bitten off a small part of my flesh. Hearing that made my stomach turn and I was positive that if I'd had anything in there, I would've puked. Instead I remained there, eyes covered and mouth hanging open from the shock and disgust. And I couldn't stop shaking. I felt someone lick the blood of the deep wound and then Hanji giving instructions to Rico while they disinfected and bandaged my shoulder. Levi never took his hand off my eyes and I was grateful. I would probably have passed out from seeing the state of me. While Rico held my hand steady so they could properly bandage me, I searched for something to hold with my free one. Another hand found it and held it firmly. I also tightened my grip on it. I tried to focus on my breathing to calm myself. Losing a piece of me like that was... unsettling, not to say traumatizing. I realized how quiet it was. When he finally removed his hand I glanced at my shoulder that was completely bandaged. However, a big part of my tank top was tainted red and there were spots of blood on the ground. Heaven, just how much blood had I lost today?

"Wanna try standing?" Offered the Captain along with a hand.

I grabbed it and he pulled me to my feet. My head immediately started spinning and I sat right back down and brought my hand to my face. Yep. I'd lost too much blood. Colonel Kistein reached into his jacket and tossed a small plastic flask at Hanji.

"Make her drink that. It's energy juice."

"Thank you Colonel." I said, before emptying the flask.

Connie took off his jacket and placed it on my shoulders. I thanked him, doing my best to smile despite being a tiny bit drenched in my own blood and under shock. I looked around. It seemed like all the wounded had been recuperated and given first aid. But I soon realized that the heavy silence wasn't only due to me.

"Strauss." Called out the Colonel to one of his soldiers and with a sign of the head pointed to me.

The soldier entrusted his weapon to a comrade and approached us to pick me up in his arms and bringing me near Jean's father. The head of the Special Forces then turned to my friend who was still among the Angels.

"Ymir, come here."

"What for?" Replied the forever-rebel, frowning suspiciously.

"Now." Ordered the man, slightly raising his voice.

Even she knew better than to discuss with the Colonel, so she made her way towards where Strauss had put me down. I was only realizing what was happening. The man then turned back to Levi and the Scouts who all had alert eyes.

"I'm going to ask you to give us your weapons."

"Why should we do that?" Spat out Oluo, only to have Mikasa stomp on his foot.

Levi didn't respond and even though he had no gun left, he unbuckled his belt that contained all of his ammo and tossed it aside as an example. The Angels looked at each other, uncertain. The first to follow was Hanji who tossed aside her gun. Then the Lieutenants imitate it her and then all the Scouts. The soldiers of the Special forces moved slowly as to completely block the way out of the room. My heart tightened and I stood up, holding on to Ymir for support. The Colonel then gave his next order.

"Now, everyone that's not wounded, get on your knees."

They weren't at gun point, but they might as well have been. Again, the Scout's Captain didn't reply but this time remained standing, defying the Colonel with his sharp grey eyes. A long silence followed without either of them speaking. The noise that broke the silence were the voices of our two messengers.

"They're here!" Exclaimed Krista, as she and Jean entered the lab. "Petra! Ymir!"

"Are you guys okay?" Asked Jean, joining us.

"Now's not the time for an update, Jean." Replied Ymir quietly.

The dog trainer and the princess took in the situation and quickly understood that this was the moment they'd prepared for. Both took out their SpyBugs out of their jackets discreetly and handed them to me.

Three more people walked into the room, accompanied by more members of the Special Forces. Dot Pixis, Henry Aust, and above all, King Rod Reiss. The King looked uneasy. Very uneasy. He approached the Colonel and looked at the Scouts. Levi looked at him straight in the eyes.

"Mission accomplished, your Majesty." Declared a new voice. We all turned to the entrance. Commander Erwin walked in followed by Armin and the rest of the navigators aside from Marco who quickly joined the other Scouts. Meanwhile, Erwin approached the King. "Woerman and Dok are dead and their project has been countered."

It took a moment for the King to reply. "It seems so..."

"The question now," said Aust, voicing out the King's thoughts. "is wether or not they can be considered without consequences."

"Hold on a second!" Protested Jean. "You can't be serious!"

"They took out a threat that could've been a disaster and you're thinking about getting rid of them?!" Continued Ymir. "That's bullshit!"

This was escalating faster than I'd anticipated. Taking my time was not an option. I proceeded to assemble the four pieces of my puzzle, I sent one last message to Marco.

G.E.T. - S.E.T.

"And do you, young fools, realize what a disaster it could be if the world were to learn of their existence?" Asked Aust as calm as ever. "It's for the best that anything related to the Titan or Heaven Project should disappear."

"What are you saying?" Said Krista. "That you want to erase all traces? That means you'll have to erase us too!"

"Historia..." Started the King.

"Do you expect me to stay silent if I witness my own father kill innocent people that saved the entire City?"

"If you want us to stay quiet, then you'll have to silence us by force, you cowards!"

"Jean!" Shouted the Colonel. "For God's sake, be quiet!"

"No way! That's not what you taught me, old man! Did you join the military to kill the innocent?"

"I joined to protect people."

"That's what I'm doing! I'm protecting people!" Spelled out his son for him.

"They're as much part of this City than we are!" Insisted Ymir. "It be like assassinating your own citizens."

"SHUT UP BRATS!" We all froze, as it was Levi who had shouted. "This isn't your fight. Stay out of it. That's an order."

We all threw him dumbfounded glares, but before any of us could add anything, Sasha and Connie got on their knees, as previously ordered and smiled sadly at the ground.

"It's alright guys. Really." Said the glutton.

"Yeah don't sweat it." Continued her partner. "It's not like we fooled ourselves. Either way, there was no other ending for us. We've known since the beginning that it was going to finish like this."

Horror struck me as I saw all the Scouts kneel down, one by one. And all seemed to have that same glare of sadness, yet somehow peaceful. Even the explosive ball of rage that was Eren Jeager. It hit me. They'd never expected to survive this. Just like Lucifer and Marco, they'd also guessed their fate and never rebelled against it, thinking it was for the best.

"It was fun while it lasted." Said Hanji, before looking at us. "It was great having you guys on board for a while."

My hands shook with anger and tears streamed down my face. I took a step forward. "YOUR MAJESTY!" I called out as loud as I could to get everyone's attention. "Before you make a decision, I want to show you something."

I presented my assembled puzzle and pressed a button. A light turned on and I pointed the device towards the wall of the room. An image of Marco appeared on the wall. Assembled, my four SpyBugs made a radio-projector.

"You're on Sherlock." I said.

"Well hello there, your Majesty and everyone else present." He said, with his goofy smile on. "Now you can see me too. Before you make a terrible mistake, I would like you to consider the following facts; first off, please pay attention to the photos I'm about to show you."

Marco disappeared and instead appeared a slideshow. On each slide, appeared two photos. One was a picture from Missing Person's files next to a photo of that same person in Scout's uniform. On top of the slide, their full name. One by one, the pictures of the Scouts showed up.

"As you can see, all the people present here have been declared missing at the exact same time thirteen years ago." Marco's image reappeared. "I also happen to be in possession of the few official reports that talk about the Scouts as well as the Heaven project, signed by Commander Erwin Smith, an important figure of your government. If I were to release these to the public, I wonder how the families would react knowing that you have silenced people who have worked for your benefit. That is without counting the scandal that would arise should the Heaven project be revealed as well."

The look on the King and the other's faces was priceless. I couldn't help the gigantic smile that stretched out on my face. 'I swear Marco, if you were with you right now, I would kiss you!' I thought.

"You unconscious idiot!" Exclaimed Aust. "If the Heaven project is revealed, it would cause a major crisis in the City!"

"Yes, but that wouldn't exactly be my problem, now would it Mr Aust?" Nonchalantly replied the pseudo Sherlock scratching the back of his head. "For now, you can consider me the most dangerous man in the City. I have compromising information on the government and well, I'm also a troublemaker. Oh, and I'm also recording whatever the surveillance cameras are filming right now."

"Who are you?" Asked the King. "And what do you want?"

"It's just like you not to know who your daughter's closest friends are, your Majesty. To answer your second question, not much. I want you to leave my friends alone. And when I say friends, I mean all the Scouts. They've been away from their homes long enough. It's about time they went back. And that's just my personal opinion, but if I were you, I would avoid burying this affair. Secrets never bring anything good. And that way you can also eliminate the threat I cause. You hold all the cards your Majesty. It's your move."

When they all remained silent, Krista stepped in as well. "Father, these people are more trustworthy than anyone. They've served you even knowing what would happen to them in the end. They deserve more than praise. They deserve their lives back."

"Return what is owed." Cited Erwin. "You owe these people, your Majesty. We all do."

As we all waited, holding our breaths for the King's answer, I carefully turned my head to look at the Scouts's Captain. I found him looking straight at me as well. I couldn't tell what his eyes were saying. But for once, I didn't look away. I was waiting for it; the judgement, the anger... anything. But all I was given was a blank stare.

"It's a bit too late to keep them hidden." Continued Marco. "I've already sent the first slideshow to Missing Person's Bureau. They know that their lost ones are alive. I can send the rest with a push of a button. Decide King Reiss."

We'd won. It was over. Marco had secured all the loose ends of our plan. They didn't have any other choice. I could see relief on the Colonel's face as he realized he wouldn't have to harm his own son. Distraught on Aust's face who was most certainly trying to find a way to regain control of the situation, in vain. And the King who seemed actually calmer after not having any choice to make. Still he closed his eyes to think before speaking.

"If this isn't something to be buried, then we need at least to get all the details on paper."

"Your Majesty! You can't possibly..." Started Aust.

"I've heard your advice, Aust. Now I'm asking you to be quiet. We have no choice. Either the public learns this the hard way, or we take care of it. For now, this affair remains top secret until decided otherwise by myself and the council. Commander Erwin, you will accompany me to get this sorted and also make sure that your... young friend keeps his end of the bargain."

"Yes, Sir."

"Until then, everyone present in this room is under the seal of secrecy. We have no time to make you swear an oath, but if any of you speaks of this affair out of context, you will be punished accordingly. That goes for you as well, Princess Historia."

"Agreed your Majesty." Replied his daughter.

"Colonel, have your men take the wounded to the Military Hospital. A report will be written on all of them and their conditions. I want you to take care of this."

"As you wish your Majesty." Replied Antoine. "But what about the Castle's protective forces?"

"Pixis and the garrison will take care of them. Is that acceptable, Commander?"

The old man smiled and nodded. "Indeed. Now that Zackley is in custody, it should be no trouble."

"Good. Then we will proceed as such." The King turned to Marco's image. "Is that acceptable?"

"I am satisfied. But I will be expecting to hear reports every twenty-four hour from Commander Erwin or one of the Scout's lieutenants."

"That can be arranged."

Marco's goofy smile came back. "Excellent. Glad we agree, your Majesty. You don't have to worry about me keeping my end of the deal. I'm a pretty nice guy most of the time. As long as you don't pick on my friends that is."

The King turned back to the Scout's leader. "You will come as well, Captain."

"Hold on." Said Hanji. "Levi's wounded. He needs immediate medical attention..."

"It's fine Four-eyes." Cut her off the short man. "Make sure the brats are taken care of in a human way."

"But..." She stopped herself when she saw Levi's glare. "Alright."

Detaching himself from the group, the Angel Captain dragged his beat up body towards where Erwin and the King were, under the careful stares of the soldiers around. The King seemed to regain his nervousness when Levi approached. Colonel Kirstein ordered a couple of men to accompany them. And with that, they started leaving. Without realizing what I was doing, I handed the device to Krista and ran after them, making the jacket fall off my shoulder.

"Levi!" I called out stopping him.

I stopped a step away from him and just stared waiting for his thoughts. After a few seconds he sighed. "You really are the biggest pain in the ass of my existence, I hope you know that. Nice little trick you planned behind my back."

"I'm sorry."

"Are you really?" He asked seriously.

I shook my head. Of course not. He started leaving again, so I grabbed his arm stopping him again. "Don't disappear."

I don't know if I meant it to be a plea or an order, but it ended being something in between. To me, the rest of the world had vanished. Only his answer became my concern. But again, he only stared in a neutral fashion. His eyes then landed on my good shoulder. The one that was still whole. I realized that it'd been aching this entire time, but I'd been to busy to notice. Slowly, or at least it felt slow to me, he approached his head from the still open wound and trailed his tongue on it. Only not just over the wound, but all the way up my neck. Shivers of relief travelled down my spine but my face heated up so hot, I thought I was going to melt. Then, he muttered those words.

"Take care of yourself kid."

And with that, he walked away. Something inside me was yelling at me to go after him, to scream... but for some reason, I just watched him walk away. And at that precise moment, I finally put a name on that sensation that I felt only for him.

* * *

Colonel Kirstein and his men escorted the Scouts to the Military Hospital to get their injuries treated and data registered. We parted ways there and soon, a small group of them escorted us outside to get picked up by a truck to take us to Sina's General Hospital where Tim, Amanda and Alec had been taken. Marco joined us there as well, with Myra still asleep in his arms. During the ride, everyone congratulated Marco for his bargaining, while the poor guy was still shaking from his act. Their discussion was distant to me. I was holding my sleeping foster sister in my arms, my mind, foggy.

"Petra?" Asked Krista who was sitting next to me. "Are you alright?"

The sun was slowly setting, bathing Maria and Rose in a gorgeous orange light. The wind played with my hair and brought a sour melody in my heart. But somehow, I couldn't get myself to appreciate the beauty of it. I looked at my small friend.

"We won, right guys? We managed to save everyone. All the Scouts are going home to their families soon. Tim, Amanda, Alec and Myra... they're all safe now. You guys are okay too. And the King spared everyone. We did it. This is the end we wanted, right?"

The four of them were looking at me with confused and worried eyes. A smile stretched across my face. But it wasn't out of joy.

"So why am I so sad?"

My voice was broken. Krista's eyes widened and looked at me with pure shock. I felt like my petite friend could see right through me. Although, I wasn't sure what she was seeing. Her eyes watered and she hugged me.

"Oh, Petra. I'm so sorry." She said to me, tightening her grip.

Ah, so she really knew? I supposed that it was a little obvious, but still. Just knowing that one person knew what was hurting me was making me feel at ease to let myself go. I hugged her back with my free arm, happy to have someone get that tortuous emotion I was feeling. The boys stood there dumbfounded but then again, they were boys. But Ymir came to sit on the other side of me and gently rubbed my back. She might be a tomboy, but she wasn't insensitive. I was just happy that they were here with me.

After a few minute of hesitation, the boys approached us and Jean placed a hand on mine. "Hey, what's wrong?" He asked.

Krista looked at him and replied instead. "She's worried about him."

Worried? Yes, I suppose that was part of it. But his goodbye to me meant much more. It meant loneliness. The kind that couldn't be filled by friends. The emptiness left by a certain type of absence.

* * *

At Sina General Hospital, I found Timothy, Amanda and Alec. Myra woke up to find us all here, just as I'd promised. I didn't get much time with them, because the doctors wanted to examin my shoulder immediately. For the next couple of days, we remained in the hospital, me for my injuries and Amanda and her kids to consult a psychologist specialized in PTSD. Tim had to go get interrogated by the Special Forces to give his version of the story and statement. The Kilers and I didn't get much time together, because we were in separate rooms. Ymir, Krista, Jean and Marco came to visit every day. The pseudo Sherlock told me news about the Scouts that Erwin sent him. They were all still getting their data stored in. Those who were on their feet would return to their families in a week or so. I was happy for them. I didn't dare ask about the Captain, to avoid getting possibly crushing news. I got surgery to try and get a muscle transplant to replace the one Levi had torn out. It worked out fine, but I would keep a nasty scar on my shoulder. After an additional fifteen days at the hospital, the Kilers and I were finally able to go home.

On the way back, escorted still by members of the Special Forces, we were all quiet. But the moment we returned to the house, I realized something. I think we all did. It was going to be difficult. Difficult readjusting. Difficult looking at each other. Difficult getting by all of this. Amanda and the kids were the ones who were in most need of an explanation. We were all just standing there in the entrance, looking at our feet. Timothy was the first to react.

"What do you say we talk now?" He said, addressing both his wife and I.

"Good idea." I replied.

"I agree." Said Amanda.

We went to sit in the living room, the five of us. Tim started. He explained to us how he got wrapped up in Dok and Woerman's dirty business, and how they threatened to harm his wife and kids if he didn't do what he was told. Since he was head of Security for the city, he could easily help them smuggle the stuff they needed inside the Castle and to the sub-garage. Then it was my turn. I told them everything. From the night I went free running with Ymir to the last mission. We talked for hours. Even Myra and Alec were listening attentively.

"I'm so sorry." I said wiping my tears from my face, unable to look at them in the eyes. "If it weren't for me... none of this would've happened."

"You're wrong." Said Timothy, making me look up in surprise. "Considering how things went down, it was for the best that you ended up mixing with the Scouts."

"But if I hadn't..."

"If you hadn't, Dok and Woerman would have an army of monsters at their disposal. The result would've been catastrophic. Who knows how many they would've killed?"

I didn't understand. How were they not hating me? How were they not blaming me, for putting them and their kids in danger like that? How were they still looking at me with the eyes of loving parents?

"What's happened happened Petra. And thanks to your actions and that of your friends, we're all here together again. If you hadn't gotten involved, Lucifer would've gotten rid of us after not needing us anymore. I won't lie, it'll take a long time to... readjust." He said looking at his wife and she grabbed his hand. "But we have the best disposition to do so."

Amanda then continued. "You're hurt too Petra. Don't even try to hide it, I know you too well. How do you expect me to be alright if one of my daughters isn't?"

My eyes widened in surprise, and I looked at her. After everything I'd caused, she was calling me her daughter. Both of them smiled at me. Both of them were still visibly shaken by what had happened to us. But here they were, comforting me. It's true, I'd been put through the ringer too but … I had Levi, the Scouts and my friends to help me. It was about time, all of us had some well deserved rest. We decided to make a feast. Not to celebrate anything, but just because we felt like it. From Alec's ketchup cucumbers, Myra's hot chocolate with dipped candy, Tim's ham-mint-eggs-mozarella sandwich to Amanda's birthday cake, it was the weirdest combination of food I had ever seen. We laughed about the most ridiculous things and talked about hilarious memories some even including my parents and my brother. Then we went back to the living room, Alec fell asleep in my arms and Myra, on her mother's lap. But us three continued talking. It kept us from ruminating on our misfortune. And we talked until, Amanda and Tim's eyes started getting heavy as well. They went to bed taking Alec and Myra with them. It probably reassured them to have them near after the hell they all went through. I'd be surprised if not one of them had nightmares. I knew they'd had plenty at the hospital.

As for me though, I was not tired. Partly because my sleep cycle had been drastically altered in the past months, but mostly because I just didn't want to. I put my pajamas on and let myself fall on my bed. I picked up my phone and checked for any new messages from Marco. I sighed in frustration when I saw there were none and tossed the device at the far end of my bed. I closed my eyes without trying to fall asleep. Where was Levi now I wondered. Did he disappear like he wanted to? Had the King and other influentials made him disappear? My haunting thoughts brought tears to my eyes, and I started sobbing in my pillow.

'Just when exactly did I fall for you, you absolute jerk?'

* * *

 **Again sorry for that ending. But I can finally promise long awaited fluffy goodies for next chapter! So... maybe you can forgive me? ;)**

 **SPECIAL MESSAGE : To all of you who live in the US in Florida, hang in there guys! I'm praying for your well-beings. Stay safe!**

 **PLEASE REVIEW**


	35. Chapter 35

**Heeeeeeeello my people! I hope you're all doing great! I really hope you'll like this chapter because I poured my heart and soul into it!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

That thought occupied my head for a long time. In a way, it wasn't that bad that I only realized it now. It would have been a pain to carry this weight around during the raid. Or maybe it was because of the raid and everything at stake that I didn't focus on it. Before I knew it, an entire month had gone by since we last saw the Scouts. I spent that month mostly enjoying my family and my friend's company. I continued my college assignments, having nothing else to focus on. And at night, I chatted with Marco to get updates from the Commander. That night was no different. I glanced at my clock. It was passed midnight. My phone suddenly vibrated and I quickly grabbed it. It was from Marco who'd opened a chatroom.

M : Latest new guys! Thomas and Nanaba are back with their families. And Erwin decided that he was taking in Eren, Mikasa and Armin.

P : That's great! Any news about Levi?

M : Sorry P :( Nothing. Erwin won't say anything aside from don't worry. It looks like it's just the two of us. How're you holding up?

P : As good as I can, Sherlock.

M : How are the Kilers?

P : Better than expected. Much better.

M : That's a relief.

K : Want me to come over, Petra?

P : No, don't worry about it Kris. I'm fine. Really.

K : If you're sure. Anyways, There's something I want to tell you guys. I've decided to get into politics.

P : WHAT?

M : Last I checked, you wanted to be a dancer.

K : I thought so too but... After what happened with the Scouts and my dad, I've been thinking about this a lot. It shook me you know. I feel like even though I am part of the Royal family, I've been completely ignoring the duties that come with it.

J : Are you saying you want to become Queen?

K : Maybe. I'm seriously thinking about it. Hey Jean!

J : Actually, I've been thinking about it too.

M : Becoming Queen?

J : No jackass! I think I'm going to join the army and then the Special Forces. I've talked with my old man and... yeah, I think that's where I'm headed. Your turn Sherlock.

M : What do you mean?

J : Don't tell me a geek like you didn't get a life changing revelation after that crap we've been through. Spit it out!

M : I don't know what you're talking about.

J : Bullshit!

Y : Come on, spill. Or I'll beat it out of you when we see each other.

M : I thought we were friends! What about you freckles?

Y : Don't you dare call me that! I'm not complicated like the rest of you weirdoes! I'm staying in Maria minding my own business, thank you. I had enough of that top secret government bullshit for the rest of my life.

I couldn't believe what I was reading. All of them... all of my best friends had completely changed course for their futures. It's true that what we had gone through was shocking in more ways than one. But here I was, crying my eyes out and pitying myself. But I deserved it. At least for a little while. Starting tomorrow, I was going to need to get back on my feet. One way or another. And I'd have to think about my future again. Right now, my mind was all over the place and overthinking would fry my brain circuitry. Meanwhile, my friends kept ranting on the chat.

M : Lay off guys! Seriously!

J : Why don't you just tell us then?

M : Cause there's nothing to tell!

J : Yeah right. That's about as likely as us seeing the Captain again.

M : JEAN!

Y : HORSE FACE! TIMING!

K : JEAN!

J : Wow! Sorry, that was way inappropriate! Sorry Petra.

The whole thing made me smile more than feel miserable. Which was a good thing.

P : Don't sweat it. I'm tired guys, I'm gonna hit the pillows.

K : Same. Goodnight guys.

One by one we all exited the chat and I dropped my phone. I lied about being tired and I just stared at the ceiling, before closing my eyes. The best way not to think about something is to occupy yourself. But I was trying to get back in the usual night/day rhythm. Even after all this time, I hadn't exactly done anything to regulate it. However, shortly after I manage to put myself in pre-sleep state, my ears picked up a strange clicking sound. It annoyed me but I tried to ignore it, afraid to loose my steady pace towards sleep. But the noise only became more insistent. I sprang up when my window suddenly opened, and my heart skipped a beat. The next thing I knew, someone jumped inside my room. My eyes widened when I identified the culprit.

"Sorry for the entrance, but it's better if we don't wake up your folks." He said taking a few steps closer to my bed. "Hey."

I stood up, never taking my eyes off him. They burned but I refused to blink in case this was only a hallucination. My capacity of speech seemed to have disappeared. But just to make sure, I slapped my hands on both my cheeks to make sure. While my face heated up and stung and I felt the consequences of my slaps, the Angel Captain who was still here, raised an eyebrow.

"Did you loose a couple more brain cells while I was gone?"

I didn't answer. I didn't even pick up on the insult. Feeling my eyes water, I quickly wiped my eyes and yet, I was unable to keep a smile from stretching out across my face. He seemed to understand. I looked at him again. It was my first time seeing him out of his uniform. Of course, he was still in black. Black pants and shoes but a clean white shirt, freshly ironed from the looks of it. A black vest to complete the look. All he was missing was a tie, and he'd be in a perfect suit. It suited him so well. It was strange, but I always felt like despite his foul-mouth, he was a man of elegance.

"Want to go out?" He asked.

I immediately nodded. I didn't care where we were, as long I got to be with him for a little bit.

"I'll let you change. And you should probably leave a note to your parents."

With that he walked walked out the window. I realized how cold it was. We were still in the middle of winter and a light snow was falling outside. I quickly put on jeans, warm boots, a long sleeved shirt and grabbed a coat. After sticking a note on my door saying I'd be back soon, I dashed down the stairs so fast that I nearly fell. Some part of me was still scared that I had hallucinated all of that. But when I stepped out, he was there, in front of the gates waiting for me. I only noticed the black car when I joined him.

"I borrowed it." He said, as if he was reading my mind. "It's Erwin's."

I said nothing and hopped in. During the whole ride, we both remained quiet. A thousand questions invaded my mind, but I found myself unable to ask any of them. He looked... so normal, his face as hard to read as ever. The perfect pokerface. Around him, eyes just weren't enough. I didn't realize where we were when he parked. Getting out, he waited for me to join him and side by side we walked. For some reason, my eyes were staring at the ground and I felt unbelievably uneasy. Maybe I was still under shock from his sudden reappearance. I feared that if I talked, I'd break something. But was there something to break? It weighted on me. I'd felt so relieved when I'd seen him, so what was up with me?

"We're here."

I looked up and recognized the street and the bar. The Three Roses. My first thought was that it looked more like an old fashion diner that was meant to look like an ancient bar. I had been there twice and I'd never taken the time to really look at it.

"Do you mind?" He asked.

I just shook my head. It was perfect. It fitted him so well. And they were here too. He pushed the door and I stepped in after him. For once, there were clients though not many. A group of men drinking, a couple of people having dinner, someone was playing the piano... The atmosphere was as peaceful as the last times. It pushed away a little of the worry. This was the place that made him feel at ease. And it was a state he was rarely in, so I was more than happy to see him surrounded by these people.

"Well, well, would you look who's back?"

"Mr Hannes!" I said recognizing the man.

The barman smiled, sincerely happy to see us. "You two look like you got mauled by a bear."

"Shut up, old man." Growled Levi.

The blond man chuckled. "Good to see you in one piece, Levi."

"Thanks."

The door leading to the kitchen opened and Isabel came out, wiping her hands with an cloth. "Hannes, where did you put the key to..."

The short woman froze when she saw us and dropped what she was holding. She stared at us for a long moment before tears filled her eyes and she ran towards us and hugged both of us, nearly knocking us to the ground.

"Thank goodness." She muttered in between sobs of relief. "Thank goodness you're alright."

I was surprised that she hugged me too. She was very close to Levi, and part of me was jealous of that closeness. But she seemed to have adopted me in a way. I was happy about that and grateful for her kindness. Soon after, Farlan stepped out of the kitchen as well and a relieved smile appeared on his face. He approached us and grabbed his wife by the shoulder.

"Easy Isa, they're wounded." She let go, and he and Levi shared a firm handshake. "Welcome back Levi."

"Thank you. Both of you." Replied the Captain.

"Welcome back Petra." Added Isabel, smiling all teeth out yet still wiping the tears from her face. She turned to her big brother. "Thanks for bringing her."

"I had to. You threatened to leave me to freeze my ass off outside if I didn't." Said the Captain without a care in the world.

In return, the short woman kicked him in the knee. "Don't be a smartass with me!"

Her face suddenly became more serious. "It's over right? All of it?"

Farlan and Hannes made the same face as the three of them waited for an answer. The angel Captain nodded, and their smiles reappeared.

"You'll tell us someday, right boss?" Asked the man of the couple.

"I haven't been your boss in over thirteen years, Farlan. But yeah. Someday."

Isabel's laughter brought her attention and she suddenly looked like her hyper-self again. "Well, what are we waiting for?" She said looking up at her husband. "We should kick everyone out and celebrate!"

Farlan sweat-dropped. "Isa, we can't kick out our clients..."

"Yeah, cause getting drunk in front of them is much more decent." Scoffed Hannes, raising an eyebrow.

"Says the guy who welcomes clients completely stoned half the time." Retorted Isabel.

"Not today guys." Said Levi, interrupting their petty argument. "I need a table for two and a quiet corner."

Surprised, I looked at him wondering if I'd heard wrong. The three others stared at Levi as if he'd just turned into a cow. He had his same neutral, serious, bored looking face as always. My mouth hung open and I tried speaking, but had nothing to say. The angel waited patiently for the trio to recover from the shock. I was surprised to see that Isabel was the first one to react. She smiled sweetly at us.

"Second floor, left corner next to the last window. Need anything?"

"Black tea. Petra?"

"Huh? Oh, uh... same." I said unable to think for myself.

With that, Isabel turned heels and headed for the counter. Levi grabbed my hand and pulled me behind him towards the stairs. It took me a moment to identify the loud pounding I was hearing as my own heart. What was it with the sudden change of plans? Or was that what he had planned since the beginning? On the second floor, there were even less people than downstairs. We went to a table on the far corner. It was nice and isolated from the rest of the room. We sat down next to the window, facing each other. Trying to avoid the awkward eye contact, I slowly removed my coat and set it down beside me and he did the same. The nervousness I'd felt before came back twice as intense.

"How are you?" He asked.

"I'm fine. Thanks." Somehow, answering that made me feel stupid.

"You haven't said a word since I picked you up."

"I'm sorry, I... I still have a hard time believing this is real."

"Why?"

"What do you mean why? You're the one who said you'd disappear with your curse once your mission was over. And the last words you spoke to me sounded a hell lot like a goodbye. And then there's Marco and Erwin not telling us a damn..."

Hearing myself shout, I stopped speaking. I didn't realize I'd snapped at him. I must've been much angrier than I thought. I rubbed my face and took a deep breath to calm down. "I thought I was never going to see you again, Levi."

"I'm so..." He began.

"I thought I failed." I interrupted immediately, looking at him in the eyes. "I thought I couldn't save you."

"Save me? That was your plan?"

I knew he was talking about our betrayal. My head was a bit clearer now, so I decided to question him. "If you'd known about our plan, would you have stopped us?"

"Yes."

"Then why did you trust me? You knew I was up to something when you found the SpyBug on me. So what happened?"

"Moment of weakness?"

For someone who was such a good actor, that lie was terrible. We got interrupted when Isabel came up with a tray, carrying two white mugs of black tea, a teapot, sugar and a plate of what looked like Christmas themed biscuits. She didn't say a word and just winked at me before leaving. I thought it was strange that she'd serve us tea in mugs instead of teacups, but I understood why when I saw the writing on mine. It said TODAY, LUCK IS YOURS. I knew what she was thinking and that made my face heat up but I was pretty sure that it wasn't going to go that way. I quickly drank and burned my tongue to chase my... distracted thoughts. But I'd learn much later that Levi's said TODAY, DON'T SCREW UP.

"I didn't know what the right decision was, I made a judgment call based on my own feelings. I trusted you because I wanted to." He explained, as if we'd never gotten interrupted.

That confession struck me dumb. Levi always seemed to be the type of person that seemed unfazed in front of danger. He was level-headed and quick to react, as well as unbelievably clever. But he never knew what the right decision was? I suppose that made him much wiser and human than what I gave him credit for. And that was saying something.

"Thank you." I said. "For trusting me."

"You got me beat in the end kid. I would've stopped you. But the ending we got, I'm satisfied with it."

"You are?"

"Thank you. For saving my brats."

This was awkward. Getting a thank you answered by another thank you and an apology. Especially coming from him. If I didn't know better, I'd thought I was dreaming. Or that he was messing with me. I had noted his ability to be sarcastic. But he was looking at me in the eyes, and somehow his sharp grey irises were slightly softer than usual. For once, it was like we were on the same level. Face to face. And it was strange. My eyes couldn't hold his stare long and they fell on the bandages around his neck and the scar on his face. His clothes hid so much more. I remembered everything. I'd spent the last month going over what had happened to us. His scorched back, the bullet wound in his leg, the claws in his flesh, the iron bar in his shoulder... The only one visible to me was the claw mark on his face.

"How are your wounds?"

"The pain is almost completely gone so that's good. But I'm in for a new collection of scars." He focused on me again. "I heard you had surgery."

"How do you know that?"

"Erwin told me, who else dummy?"

Ah, there it was. The casual insulting. Levi was Levi after all. I hesitated before asking this. It had bugged me for a long time. "Where have you been?"

"Mostly in and out of the military hospital after Erwin and I finished dealing with the King."

"Then why didn't anyone have news of you?"

"I was quarantined."

Somehow, that wasn't surprising, but I was worried about the reason why he would be in quarantine. "Why?"

"I can't tell you."

Oh no, not this again. We were not starting again with the secrets. "Really?"

The glare he threw me was a clear warning, that froze my insides. It told me a lot of things. Back off was stuck out amongst them. I decided to be stubborn. "Alright, I'll assume then. Have secret services tried to recruit you or something?"

The angel stared for a long moment before sighing, and to my surprise, giving up. "Something like that. We didn't get all of them."

"Them? The titans?!" My heart jumped. "Don't tell me there is another lab..."

"Calm down. There are no other labs." He explained calmly. "But there are still strays out there. Someone needs to take care of them."

"No way..."

Again he remained silent and took a long sip from his cup of tea. For the second time, anger shook me but for a completely different reason. This nightmare was suppose to be over. That was the whole reason we'd fought! Everyone was going home but not him? Why didn't he get to be left alone? Why didn't he get to go home? He'd lost everything like the other Scouts and he was the reason they survived.

"It's not fair." I said. "Why you? You gave everything even your life to do their dirty work, and now they're sending you right back in it? Those ungrateful bastards! Don't they have any respect for you? You're not even recovered yet! You've already been through hell and they..."

I got interrupted when he placed a hand on my clenched fist. "Petra." I looked at him, he was still as unfazed as ever, which only made me more irritated.

"Why are you just letting them do this to you?" I asked.

"They didn't make me. They asked and I volunteered."

That declaration was like having a bucket of freezing water dropped on me. "Why? Levi, don't you want to go home? Don't you want to be left in peace? You were finally free, I don't understand..."

He chuckled briefly. "Free?" He raised his hand up to my face and took out his claws. "I'll never be free from this Petra. Not me and not the other Scouts."

"You know that's not what I mean."

"I have no family kid. I have no home and nowhere to go." Explained the angel, putting away his deadly nails. "My existence as the Scouts' Captain ended. I need to do something with myself. And if I know one thing about me, it's that sitting tight isn't my style."

No family, huh? That was a flagrant difference between me and him. I'd rescued my family and I'd enjoyed the peace of the aftermath. But him... he must have twisted and turned in his mind trying to find something to do with himself. Farlan, Isabel and Hannes were his friends but I could tell how different he was from them. There was too much movement in his mind. He wasn't at peace at all. Deep down I knew he was hesitating : should he have disappeared?

"Aren't the Scouts your family? Any of them would be more than happy to welcome you after what you've done for them."

"No. The brats have their own families to worry about, thanks to you and the weirdo crew. I don't belong there."

"Don't say that. You belong somewhere, I know it. You are not a parasite Levi." I insisted. "Erwin would welcome you, Hanji would welcome you... I would welcome you."

This time, genuine surprise showed on his face and he raised an eyebrow. Realizing what I'd just said, my face flamed up and I looked down. My irritation was irrational. He'd already made a decision and, well, he was Levi so it was irrefutable. His hand still on mine, which I hadn't realized, tightened a little.

"Petra..."

"I suppose that means you're leaving." I said the one thing I desperately didn't want to be true.

"There's a list of all the remaining strays. There are a little over a hundred. Some of them have left the City, among them the Female Titan. She's the priority." Oh right. I'd forgotten that Annie had escaped too. "Until we find all of them, I'll be busy."

And that would take however long it would take. Something broke inside me and I bit my lower lip. The pain was almost physical, like a heavy weight in my chest. He never let go of my hand.

"What about you?" He asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I told you what's going to happen to me. What's the plan for you?"

It was a very strange question coming from him. For some reason, my distracted mind thought about the chat I had with my friends earlier. "Ymir's just being Ymir. Jean wants to become a member of the Special Forces. Krista suddenly decided she'd be the next Queen and Marco is hiding something..."

"When I said you, I didn't mean your weirdo crew."

That was a tricky question. "I guess... After I finish my degree, I figured I..."

Nothing. There was a pit of emptiness in my mind. I couldn't even remember what I wanted to do before I met the Scouts. I'd picked High Tech engineering because I was good with computers. What did I want to do with that? I still didn't know. After my adventure with the Scouts, I knew even less. I just didn't know. My eyes looked elsewhere, to hide the shame I was feeling.

"I don't know..."

"You got time. Don't sweat it. For now, you've got a degree to finish and a family to look after. That's plenty. You'll figure out what to do with your life eventually."

"When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow evening."

So soon? But again, not surprising coming from him. What was I suppose to do about myself now? I knew one thing, I didn't want him to leave. I wanted him to find his place in this world again. And that wasn't going to happen as long as he was hunting artificial vampires. It would keep him from detaching himself from the Heaven Project and everything surrounding it. Everyone got to go free but not him.

"I take it you already told the others."

"Haven't seen any of the brats since the raid. Only Hanji and Erwin know and I told them to tell the others after I'm gone."

I froze in surprise for a moment. Didn't that make me the only person he was saying goodbye to? "What?"

"Don't I get to decide how I spend my last night in the City?"

Two emotions tor me apart. The first was very clearly happiness. I was flattered beyond anything imaginable and it's like I had butterflies in my heart. The color of my face would put cherries to shame. The second was pure shock. I didn't understand why. It was too confusing. What did he want to tell me to sacrifice his last evening?

"I'm confused." I let out, unintentionally.

Levi sat back in his seat and looked out the window. Light snow was still falling, and the lights of the street gave it a warm atmosphere. "After the raid, I couldn't get that bastard out of my head." Of course, he meant Lucifer. "He said some pretty screwed up things. But it got me thinking. He said I had everything he wanted. It took me a while to understand what he really wanted. Me dead was one thing, but what he was obsessing over was something else entirely."

"Becoming someone?"

"You become someone through bonds, Kid. There's no way around that."

"So he was jealous of your bonds? That makes sense."

"The one I have with you."

I still didn't get it. I was in love with the guy but he didn't know that. I suddenly remember Lucifer teasing me multiple times on how obvious I was. Had he told Levi? Knowing him, probably. Never in my life had I wanted to disappear so much. I risked a look at his eyes, finding them piercing right through me. Of course he knew, and he hadn't needed Lucifer to tell him. He was Levi. I sighed.

"When did you figure me out?" I asked. "I mean, I didn't until after the raid..."

"I guess that makes both of us dense idiots when it comes to our own feelings." He took another sip of his mug. "I can't pinpoint the time you became more special to me than anyone else either."

"Would you stop with the insul..." I suddenly caught on to what he'd just said. "Come again?"

The angel rolled his eyes at me. "Why do you think I asked you out?"

This was a date? I don't know how many silent minutes went by, but the sour reality caught up to me eventually. That confession, those mutual feelings... they were all going to waste. A harmony we both wanted was about to shatter. The butterflies vanished and got replaced by a contracting stomach and bitterness pinching my heart. Clenching my hands on my knees, I looked down and my face heated up again. My tears dripped on my pants.

"Why are you telling me this now? You decided to leave, didn't you? So why now?" I said, my voice chocked by realization.

"Because I didn't want to leave it like this. And I want to be clear about something."

I didn't want to hear this, I didn't want to listen. I shut my eyes, wanting to disappear. Whatever he had to say, I wouldn't like it. My gut feeling was screaming at me to run away. By sound, I heard him getting up from his seat and coming to sit right next to me on my bench. He couldn't come closer. It would only hurt more, but I couldn't escape. On one side was the window, the wall behind me, the table in front and he blocked my last possible exit.

"Petra." He said, slowly and with his deep serious voice. "I need you to listen to what I have to say."

"..." I didn't reply and only bit my lip.

Thank God, he didn't touch me. I would loose it if he touched me. But he was so close, practically whispering in my ear. Like that time after he saved me from Lucifer. He waited, probably for me to open my eyes but I didn't. So he sighed.

"A while ago, a stubborn brat I know asked me not to disappear. She managed to deviate the fate I'd decided to go through with." That got my attention, but I still didn't move. "I don't know how long it might take before I decide to do something with my sorry-self. It might take months, it might take years. And there is no way in hell that I'm going to chain you to me."

I opened my eyes slowly and looked at him, my vision still blurry from the tears. "You're not chained to me Petra, I need you to understand that. You're going to get on with your life and do whatever the hell you want with it, without me being a thorn in your foot."

"Stop it." I said, clearly, looking him dead in the eyes. "Stop comparing yourself to an unwanted parasite Levi. You're not a nuisance, you're the man I fell in love with. Being an angel doesn't change that. And distance isn't going to change that either."

His face didn't twitch, but something, an almost unnoticeable sparkle of surprise appeared in his eyes. "After everything I did to you..."

"You saved my life and did everything you could to keep me from a nightmare. That's what you did."

"You'll meet others."

"No one like you."

"You're not thinking rationally." He said, as calm as ever. "Life is unpredictable. Us meeting was a mistake and a dumb coincidence."

"I didn't just fall for you. I want to keep loving you as long as humanely possible. If you have no family, I'll be your family. If you have no purpose, I'll find one for you. I want you to live Levi. Live like there's no tomorrow. This is what I want." If my face could get any hotter it would melt, but blurting all of this took a load off my chest. Still unfazed, he kept staring at me. "So, what is it that you want Levi?"

The angel covered his face with his hand and sighed again. "Damn it Petra...Stop."

"Stop what? Making you hope? I can't do that, Captain."

At first, I thought he was sobbing but it was actually a chuckle. But though he laughed, I saw the bitterness in his eyes when he looked up. "You'll regret it forever."

"You said the same thing to me when I figured out who you really were. I'm taking a chance with this too."

"Only idiots think promises can't be broken."

"I think we've already established just how much of an idiot I am."

"So you're going to wait?"

"Watch me."

He moved so brusquely that my heart skipped at bit. I found myself back against the wall, his hands on my face, only inches away from his. He seemed so much taller than me with that angle. I opened my mouth to say something but got instantly cut off by the contact of his lips on mine. I didn't have much time to react because he pulled away quickly.

"Last chance." He warned.

I felt no need to add anything and just stared at him. After a few second, he kissed me again, deeper, more intensely. When I was at a party of a classmate in ninth grade, one of the guys in my class had tried to kiss me. It was nothing like this. The closeness of a special someone was... indescribable. There was a mix of happiness, of fear, of dizziness... But why did it feel so right? I was tensed, clenching his shirt and yet so relaxed. One of his hands held the back of my head, digging in my hair keeping me from escaping. The other wrapped around my waist and clutched my shirt, as if to keep itself in place. The more he kissed me, the weaker I felt. Like my muscles were slowly loosing strength and my head was lighter and lighter. He was draining me, not of blood but of pure energy. When he finally pulled away, I gasped and panted, realizing I'd been lacking oxygen. My face was hot and I felt sweat where he was holding me. From the looks for it, he had sacrificed his breathing for this moment as well. His warm breath on my face smelled of black tea. Truly, this guy knew how to kiss someone senseless.

Soon after, around two o'clock, we said goodbye to the Church and Hannes. Giving the looks on their faces, they probably had spied on us. They wished their old friend good luck. As we walked back to the car, Levi took my hand. It still felt strange, but probably because of my own embarrassment. I liked that he pulled me closer so that our shoulders would touch. I liked that he clutched my hand so tightly despite looking as detached as usual. That sudden proximity was terribly soothing. On the way back, I tried asking him about where he was going exactly, only to have him shoot me down immediately. So we stayed quiet until we arrived back at the house. Stepping out of Erwin's car, I stayed in front of the gate, watching the snow fall. Levi also stepped out.

"I have to go soon." He said, leaning his back on the fence.

"I guess you do." I said, before inhaling deeply, to prevent other tears from appearing. "Take your time out there, Levi. Find what you need to find. And if you don't, well... I'm not going anywhere."

"Tch. You sound like an overprotective mom."

"Do you have to be an ass every time I'm trying to be nice?"

"I wouldn't be me then. And you not being nice wouldn't be you."

"Touché." I conceded, thinking I was going to have to stop being so nice to him.

Another long silent went by. I was starting to get used to those with him. "Are you sure Petra? About this? I don't know how long it'll be."

"I know I'll regret it if I let it go like this. So yes, I'm certain. What about you?" I ended up asking him. "Any regrets?"

He raised an eyebrow before smirking again."Regrets? You've handed me everything on a silver platter. I got the good end of the bargain."

"Are you sure about that? I've been kissed by an angel."

He scoffed at my ridiculous joke, but didn't add anything. He moved closer and faced me before bringing a hand to my face. "Do you mind?"

What? He wanted blood? I was about to question why, but then thought it useless. I turned my head and shut my eyes, preparing myself for the pain. But instead of having fangs pierce my flesh, he grabbed my earring and took it off. Presenting it to me, he declared. "I'm keeping this."

I blinked incredulously before nodding. Then he moved my coat and shirt's collar to uncover the shoulder where I had my biggest scar. Lowering his head, he kissed it. I tensed up as the warmth on my skin sent shivers to the rest of my body. He then rested his head on it, closing his eyes. He looked so peaceful, I thought he was falling asleep. Wrapping my arm around his head, I wished that this would last a lifetime.

When came the time, he straightened up and whispered something in my ear. Then, after giving my lips a last kiss, he got back in the car and drove away, leaving me to cry. If only he'd known how much that one stupid sentence made me drown in glee and pain at the same time, as I replayed it over and over in my mind.

" _You know, this little promise between us kind of sounds like an engagement._ "

* * *

 **Hey guys! I hope your patience of two years has been well rewarded! Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. Next chapter will be the last. I will do my best to give you a finale worthy of you patience and support! See ya next chapter!**

 **PLEASE REVIEW!**


	36. Chapter 36

**You have no idea how hard it was for me to write this chapter. I couldn't write two lines without my eyes turning into a fountain! So I hope you enjoy it with all your heart.**

* * *

"Yes, Mimi. I swear on my honor as your sister that I will be here for the musical, even if the City is under attack by aliens. I already scheduled my day off and no one is going to stop me. Satisfied? Good. I'll see you next weekend."

Putting my phone aside, I crashed on the sofa of the resting room, thanking the genius who thought it necessary to put it there. I'd been in the new military base for over seventy two hours and had probably slept less than ten. The exhaustion was so that I closed my eyes every chance I got. It made me regret having ever created that new security system, because now, I was literally the only person on earth who could proof test it correctly and make sure it was operating properly. Then I'd have to teach other freshly graduated tech nerds and convicted hackers recruited by the government to use it properly without messing it up. Burying my face in the pillow of the couch, I growled my frustration out.

"You look about as happy as a cat under the rain." Said a familiar voice.

I growled again, disappointed that I couldn't even have some privacy to grunt. "I'm never inventing a security system by myself again."

"Come on Petra, you're almost finished." Said Marco, his idiotic smile on as usual. "Five more hours of supervision and then you can go home and have a week of sleep. Here, I brought you coffee."

I sighed but sat up nonetheless and grabbed the cup my friend was offering me. Despite having slept about as much as me in the past few days, he looked as ready to go as ever. Bringing the cup to my lips, I looked a bit closer. Yep, he'd been wearing the same suit for three days. At least he didn't smell. I grimaced at the taste of the bitter liquid. "Ugh. I don't know what this is, but it's not coffee."

"The machine was out of good ones. Sorry."

"What's this one called? Sock juice?"

"Hey, it's caffeine and you need it. Even though caffeine is considered the most used drug in the entire world and has a way of screwing with your sleep patterns..."

"Please shut up." I said before drinking it all in one go. "Yark, that was painful, but thanks for the free caffeine."

"It's not free. You're buying next time." He joked, taking another sip of his. "So, how did your meeting with Ymir go last week?"

"Nothing to report. She's still Ymir. Her business is finally getting some attention."

"Knowing Miss pro-Maria, she'll send any opportunity for expansion to hell."

I had to agree there. "What about you Mr Internal Affair Detective? Any plans on changing positions?"

"Never. I basically have a free card to snoop into government business and find answers for my theories. If someone else wants the job, it'll have to be over my dead body."

"Don't jinx it, Sherlock." I said, punching him lightly in the shoulder. "We need you to pollute the world with crazy theories for at least the next seventy years."

"I'll do my best, P."

Muffled shouts outside got our attention and we both stood up to approach the window. Outside, a small group of the latest recruits of the new Special Forces were gathered. Among the regiment of a hundred and fifty newbies, we knew they were here. Not only Jean Kistein, but other faces we hadn't seen in a long time. Eren, Mikasa and Armin Smith, the adopted children of General Erwin Smith, now at the head of the new secret service. Sasha Blouse and Connie Springer, as inseparable as ever. All the ex-Lieutenants. Thomas Wagner, Samuel Linke-Jackson, Nac Tias, Hannah Diamant...

10% of the new special forces recruits were known faces. We had the chance to speak to them when we arrived. All of them seemed to have found the purpose of who they were to be discovered in the service of their City. I couldn't be more happy that they'd settled well despite their conditions. I remembered the past. I barely had time to do that these days. The nightmare of the Heaven, Lucifer and Titan Projects was gone, a distant memory. I was glad to see us grown from it. As usual, Marco seemed to read my mind.

"In the end, the King never did release the truth of the Scouts to the public."

"He had you under surveillance until you you started working for him."

"Oh, I knew that." Marco replied shrugging, brushing it off as if it was no big deal. "Pretty amateurish if you ask me."

"Aren't you sour about it?"

"The reveal? No. It's a terrible political move that gives some people a great black mailing opportunity. But the next elections for the right to the throne are in a couple of years. By then Krista will be Queen, and she'll make the right decision. I trust our Princess."

I raised an eyebrow. "It's not like you to bet anything on just faith and no facts. How can you be sure she'll be chosen?"

"My reasoning is always based on fact, P. Have you seen the popularity she's gained in the past three months for her work in the boroughs of Maria? The only one of her siblings and cousins matching her is Freida. But she lacks the confidence and she's not motivated enough to become Queen. Five years from now, Historia Reiss be all people talk about."

"True."

I didn't even know why I questioned his reasoning. Because my faith in our short friend had led me to the exact same conclusion. She would become Queen and she'd be a great ruler with all of us backing her up. Our trip in the wrongs of this world and having witnessed just how far can madness take someone, had opened our eyes to who we were and what we could do. In the end, our goal had been the same. Make this world a better place anyway we could with our individual skills. And we were doing it. The future was open to us. Marco's phone brought me back to reality. Reading the text on the screen, his goofy smile got suddenly bigger, if that was even possible.

"What?" I asked. "Good news?"

"Yeah actually. Fel and I are scheduled for another date."

I laughed. "Finally found someone who can stand your constant gibberish? Don't let her go."

He looked slightly vexed. "You make it sound like I'm unattractive."

"No, you're just not popular taste, Sherlock. Seriously, I'm happy for you. I thought you were going to be married to your work for the rest of your life. Thank God there was an Irene out there for you."

He laughed with me, before making a slightly serious face. "Since we're on the subject... What about you, ginger?"

"No Marco." I said, both answering his question and warning him that I wasn't going there.

"I was just going to ask how you've been."

"Fine." I answered. "I just keep myself occupied. And I have the Kilers and you guys."

"What I mean is, aren't you lonely?"

Instead of replying, I looked down and smiled sadly at the ground. I knew that it'd been pretty obvious to all of them how I felt at the end of the nightmare, five years ago. But I had never told anyone about that night. The night of my first and only date of my life. They had no idea how much just the memory of that night made my heart throb. It was just like him to leave such an impression on others. Well Amanda had practically guessed everything though she left me alone. My foster mom was intuitive like that. After that, as promised, he'd disappeared. Even now that I worked for the most secret part of our government, no one was able to tell me where he was. That told me he'd gone off on his own, probably very soon after the start of his mission to hunt down the strays and Annie. Five years had gone by since then. And the only reminder I had of him being alive were text messages. Sent each time from masked numbers, they were always very short and brief. I'd received them at the most random of times, aside from my birthday. It reminded me that he was still out there. And every time, I prayed that he'd show up.

"You know." Started Marco, still gazing outside. "I'm not a very instinctual guy. Unlike you and Jean who's intuition works like a radar, I only have my brain. And thank God for him, that saved his life more than once."

'Poor Jean.' I thought. 'Having Marco as a best friend must be a constant pain.'

"But I just have that feeling that you're someone meant to be happy, Petra."

I blinked a little confused, taking in his words. Then I couldn't help the little laugh that escaped my lips. "What's up with you, Sherlock? It's not like you to talk like a fortune teller."

"Hey, be nice! It's not often I share my gut feelings." He winked at me. "But that one felt important. Besides, you're only twenty-three, you have time. I just don't want you to forget yourself. He wouldn't want that either."

"You are one peculiar being, Marco Bodt."

He answered me with a goofy smile again. If only there was an adapted way to express just how great it felt to have a breath of fresh air and comfort like Marco in my life. But just as I opened my mouth to thank him, the door of the resting area suddenly flew open making us both jump. A guard stepped in, urge written on his face.

"Miss Ral! We need you in the control room, now. We have an intruder."

Marco and I rushed after the guard until we reached the security room. The people on the computers looked panicked while the others watched, frozen. The man in charge was relieved to see us enter.

"Petra, thank goodness." Said General Erwin Smith.

I quickly took place in a seat and entered the system while asking for details. "What are we up against? Cyber-threat or physical intrusion?"

"Both." Replied one of my colleagues. "Some cameras on entry East are dead, and they've already broken through four firewalls of the system. This is a major security breach!"

"If they can hack through interchangeable firewalls, then they're really good." I muttered as I typed at the speed of light on my keyboard, inserting passwords. "Josh, write new codes and reprogram the dead firewalls, I don't want this worm to be able to escape. Ed, pull up our C-A virus. Carolina, can you trace the source?"

"Negative." Replied the woman, eyes locked on her screen. "It would take hours, and seeing how fast it broke through our first shields, we don't have time."

"Ed, activate the counter-attack." I ordered. "I'm destroying this thing now. Carolina, prepare for immediate data transfer in case this fails."

The screens turned red and I held my breath. I'd spend years designing the security tech, programs and procedures for this base, but this was the first, real test. Nothing could fail now. The C-A viruses attacked the intruding worms and immediately destroyed them preventing anymore damage to the virtual shields. It worked like a charm, and I released as breath of relief. My colleagues cheered, but we weren't done yet.

"Stay on guard." I warned the room. "Josh, monitor the cyber threat and the shields' reconstruction. We don't want any surprises."

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Command-... I mean General! We need soldiers on the ground, we can't just rely on tech for this, especially if they have such good hackers."

The man who used to be the Scout's Commander nodded and grabbed his radio. "Colonel Kirstein, do you copy? I need Unit S dispatched in East Area. This is not a drill."

Unit S was the Special Forces Unit that was composed of all the ex-Scouts and a couple more including Jean. It was a way to keep an eye on them. They were also the strongest regiment in the SF. Getting up from my chair, I grabbed a tactile tablet and backed up a bit to have all the screens in sight. Of course when I tried pulling up the cameras of Entry East, all I got was blurry images. After discreetly cursing, I reminded myself to breath.

"Alright you little rats," I muttered, changing the mode on my screen. "You may have blinded us, but you sure as hell aren't getting passed my motion sensors."

Luckily, it seemed those were not damaged and the computer instantly pulled up a map of the East Area... but only a single red dot was moving across it.

"What the... One intruder?!" Exclaimed Ed. "This is a joke right?"

He was right, this was ridiculous. Who storms a highly secured base on their own? But judging from what the screens showed me, it sure didn't look like an amateur mistake.

"Never mind the reason. Whoever this is, they're moving fast." I said. "They'll reach the first block in less than thirty seconds. Activating the first barrier!"

I typed in the necessary code to activate the trap, but to my shock nothing happened. I tried again and again, in vain. What was happening? I'd spent the last three days making sure the system was fully operational. Was the intruder that gifted with tech that they'd know how to hack in to a brand new system that existed only here? That or someone was helping them from the inside, but that was impossible.

"It's not going to work." Said Marco, coming to the same conclusion as me. "They've got a hold on the whole system. The SF need to deal with them, tech is useless even dangerous for us at this point."

Indeed, they could turn our own system against us. And that was the problem with relying too much on high tech. Luckily for us, Erwin and Marco were both quick thinkers. The General called the Colonel again, telling him that they were our last line of defense. Meanwhile, I kept my eyes on the sensors. The only thing I could do was watch the intruder move in. Helpless, I punched the table in frustration. What had happened to my system? Where had I gone wrong when I designed it? A hand on my shoulder made me jump.

"Calm down Petra, freaking out won't help anyone." Said Marco. "Don't worry, I'm sure Unit S is going to have this covered. I'm mean it's one guy versus monsters, what chance does he stand?"

None, of course. He was right but still watching the red dot progress into this base of which I had designed the security was unnerving and very, very unsettling. The sensors then picked up the movements of Unit S. They were going to encounter soon. Meanwhile, I tried to figure out what was wrong but found nothing that should prevent me from activating our defenses. When I pulled up the motion tracker map, a single red dot was still progressing into the base grounds while all the others had disappeared.

"They're not moving." I said, my eyes widening in horror. "Unit S is down!"

"Colonel!" Called out Erwin through his radio. "Colonel Kirstein do you copy?... Any Unit, do you copy?" Nothing. "Curses! Listen everyone, we..."

He was suddenly interrupted when the room suddenly went black. Crap, this couldn't be good. No electricity meant no communications and no defenses.

"Stay calm." Ordered Erwin. "The backup generator should kick in soon."

Indeed a few seconds later, the lights were back on. But the red dot on my motion tracking map had disappeared. After checking that they were still operational, I concluded one thing.

"They're inside."

"Stay where you are." Ordered Erwin. "Our priority is to protect our data."

Putting down my useless tablet, I pulled out my gun. It looked like getting my weapon permit was going to come in more handy then I thought. "I'm going downstairs to tell the others to come up here."

"I'm coming with you." Said Marco.

"Be careful you two." Said the General. "We don't know what we're up against. Don't do anything reck..."

A second blackout interrupted him, and we all remained frozen. A bad feeling crept up my spine and I felt goosebumps appear all over my body. Then, before our eyes had time to get used to the dark, a series of successive screams and shots in the dark echoed around me. When I finally adjusted, I saw that most of the people present were on the ground. Raising my gun, I looked around, identifying one by one the people still standing.

"Be careful!" Said Marco. "All the guards are down. AH!"

"Marco! Are you alright?"

No answer, but the lights turned back on suddenly. Carolina suddenly looked behind me and shouted. "Watch out!"

I whipped around to see an ominous figure standing very close to me. Someone dressed in black from head to toe. I moved to raise my gun but one quick punch to my wrist sent it flying away. Instantly switching to combat mode, I sent my foot in their guts pushing them back. Thank Jean and Krista for insisting on my taking defense courses. Not giving them time to recuperate, I attacked with a series of punches that they perfectly blocked, keeping me from landing a single one. Then grabbing my wrist, they moved behind me to put me in a lock.

"No you don't!"

Stepping back quickly, I slammed my back against him (I could tell now) and threw my elbow in his ribs. He grunted and released me. Grabbing the advantage, I threw my foot towards his face but he dodged me with ease. Frustrated, I threw another punch with my whole weight behind it, which turned out to be my fatal mistake. Grabbing both my wrist and upper arm, the intruder rolled in towards me and threw me over his shoulder. The tremor when my back hit the ground shook my body and painfully expelled the air out of my lungs. My temporary asphyxia gave him the opportunity to freely press my arms to the ground, one with his hand, the other with his foot. I tried to push myself free but...

"Not bad, but not good enough."

I froze when I heard this sentence. The voice was modified but that way of speaking was impossible to not identify. As I was too stunned the reply, the intruder took off the goggles and ski mask he was wearing, allowing us to meet eye to eye.

"You've made some pretty good progress."

"Alright Levi, I think you can get off her now." Said Erwin, who apparently was back from the dead.

The angel got off of me and offered me a hand that I took. "How... when... why..."

"Training exercise." Replied Marco. "Not for you promise! For the SF, specially Unit S."

Still under the shock, like all my colleagues present, I pointed to the guards. "They're knocked out?"

Levi rolled his eyes. "No I killed them, of course they're knocked out."

"Don't be a smartass with me!" I snapped back. "How did you get passed my system? Do you have any idea how sophisticated it is?"

"That wasn't me."

Marco clenched his teeth and rubbed the back of his head nervously. "My bad. Again. We needed a way for the threat to be real for the whole base, so, I tweaked the system from the inside."

"You messed with my system? You absolute bastard!" I shouted at my friend. "You scared the hell out of me!"

"That was the point." Said Levi.

Seriously, back after five years and this attitude? What was wrong with all of them? I sighed and let myself fall in my chair, covering my eyes trying to get my blood pressure down. Meanwhile, the boys moved on with their conversation.

"So, your thoughts?" Asked Erwin.

"You call this a Special Force?" Growled Levi. "Angel or not, they have the worst set up and coordination I've ever seen. I was literally six kilometers in base ground before anyone showed up. What kind of shitty dispersion do you have here? What have you been teaching them?"

Just like back then, when the Captain would lash out at him, the General just chuckled and replied calmly. "Seems like I've got more work cut out for me. But I'm not the training instructor."

"Well you sure as hell need to get your shit together if you want this whole thing to be secured properly. Do I have to remind you what's going to be contained here? Pull your head out of your ass Erwin!"

The conversation was distant even as I looked at them, shaking my head in disbelief. His return had been about as subtle as a slap in the face. And yet... the dynamic between him, Erwin and even Marco was so natural. Like he'd never been gone. But that wasn't true. I felt it in my chest. The weight of those five long years. Why was it catching up to me now? Sadness was chocking my throat, anger gripped my insides, happiness wanted to push tears out of my eyes and my heart throbbed. Thank God they were giving me a break to sort out my head, otherwise I don't know what I would do. That was a tough blow.

"Do I take your blown out of proportion irritation as a yes for the job?" Asked Erwin, that sneaky smile on his face.

"Tch. You haven't changed one bit you manipulative son of a bitch." Growled the angel in response.

"Come on Levi, you're allowed to say no. It's your choice."

"You say that even though you have a bait, you sly bastard."

"But he has a point, Captain." said Marco. "No one in the world is better suited to do this than you. I mean you literally took down the entire SF by yourself."

"Don't lick my boots, Sherlock. Flattery's a waste on me." Discarding his mask and goggles in a trash bin, he turned to them again. "Clean up the mess and give me a call when they're all awake and filled in. I'm taking my leave now."

"That was the agreement." Confirmed the General. "I suppose we'll see you in about a month with your final answer."

Instead of replying, the angel made a face before walking towards me. I looked up when he was close. "Do you have car?"

"Y-yeah."

He presented his hand and I automatically handed him my keys. Before I could ask, he grabbed my hand and pulled me out of my chair and out of the room. I looked at Marco and Erwin and mouthed a 'what's going on' as I was being dragged away. Both only smiled and Marco waved.

"Have a nice vacation!"

I was too confused by what was going on that I let him lead me to the elevators. Once there we headed down to the parking garage, without him saying anything. And I didn't feel like I could say anything without bursting out yet. I wasn't done sorting things in my head. Finally we were in the parking lot. Beeping open my car from afar, he walked to it and I followed.

"Where are we going?"

"Away from work." He answered bluntly, opening the driver's door.

"But I'm not done..."

"Questions later. Just get in the car."

"Okay, enough!" I shouted, unable to contain the irritation. "Slow down will you? I'm not done with work, you just showed up out of nowhere, and I have no clear explanation. What the hell Levi?"

He froze and looked at me for a moment, his steel grey eyes as intense as ever. After a few moments of quiet he sighed and passed his hand through his hair. "That was a drill. Erwin asked me to test out the new Special Force. You saw the result. There's nothing wrong with your system, Sherlock can easily put it back together. The only reason you were here for so long was because I didn't know when exactly I'd be back. Now can we please leave?"

"No! Why are you kidnapping me?"

"Because I want time alone with you. Unless you'd like our talk to be open to the public."

I opened my mouth to reply but froze when I processed his words and shut it. He smirked at me and I shook my head before getting in the car. "You're a jerk."

"Nothing new here." He said, starting the engine.

With that, we drove out of the base and headed back towards the City. I watched out the window, looking at the stars in the pitch black sky. We were the only car on the road at this hour, which wasn't bad. Traffic would only have made me more nervous.

"So," he questioned, getting my attention after long minutes of silence. "Got a boyfriend?"

That's what he was going with? "That's not even funny."

"You should know by now, I don't do funny." He replied very seriously, and with growing irritation in his voice. "Answer the question."

"No, I don't!" I snapped.

If it hadn't been so late and if I hadn't been so tired, I would've sworn that I saw his shoulders relax and the stiffness of his grip on the wheel loosen. But the frustration in my system had now reached unbearable levels and I took a deep breath to prevent any tears from falling. I prayed so that my voice wouldn't crack. I was keeping myself from shouting to avoid just that.

"Do you remember the last thing you told me before you left?" Keeping his eyes on the road he nodded. "I don't know exactly how stupid this is going to sound to you, but ever since then, I've considered myself engaged to you."

This time, I definitely saw his hand twitch on the wheel. But I ignored that and continued. "I didn't flirt, I didn't go out with any guy that asked me, and God knows, more than one has tried. When I was crying my eyes out missing you, I didn't go drink myself dumb to forget or to find comfort in a stranger's arms. I called Krista and we spent hours in an ice cream parlor. I worked as hard as I could, Erwin recruited me the instant I graduated. I've done nothing but work since. And I waited because I said I would."

He was breathing deeply though his face was as unreadable as ever. I was calmer now but I wasn't finished. "I don't know why people today think keeping promises is impossible. Sure it's hard. But if the price is worth it... So you can leave for another ten years, I'll still keep that promise. That's how worthy you are to me."

Again, a long moment of silence went by. I wiped my sleeve on my eyes just in case. Suddenly, he chuckled. My eyes widened and I stared at him in shock. He was smiling and chuckling.

"Idiot."

Stomping his foot on the breaks, the car came to an abrupt stop. Thank Heaven my belt prevented me from going through the windshield but I couldn't keep a gasp of horror from escaping my mouth.

"What is wrong with y..."

I didn't get the chance to finish before I was silenced by his lips. One of his arms snaked around my waste and a hand gripped my hair. So deep, so intense, like he was trying to suck out my life energy itself. It soon melted my stressful thoughts and drowned me in glee. I finally felt exactly how much I'd missed him again. The blood rushed to my face and the adrenaline heated up my body. I wanted him to hold me forever. When he finally pulled away, he held my face in his hands as I panted to regain my breath. His eyes, his beautiful eyes pierced through me like divine light.

"Your loss, Petra. I'm never letting you go."

"Like... I said." I replied, still regaining my breath and smiling at him. "I'm the one... who's being kissed... by an angel."

I wanted to kiss him again, and I know that he wanted it too. Our faced were like magnets and it took effort to keep them apart. But he placed a quick, sweet kiss on my lips before pulling away and sitting back correctly.

"I'm gonna loose it if I do that again."

That comment made my face turn redder than it already was and look away. He took that opportunity to start driving again. When I risked a glance at him, I was surprised to find him not frowning. It was strange but also satisfying to see his face relaxed for once.

"You were pretty pissed at me." He finally let out.

"That question was offensive and you know it!" I retorted. "It was like accusing me of cheating."

"Sorry."

I didn't want to linger on that conversation. "I guess you got all of them. The strays and Annie."

"The strays are taken care of. Annie's the problem. When I found her, she clocked herself in that crystal armor of hers. We haven't been able to break through yet so we needed some place to put her while working on that."

"That's why Erwin asked me to design the base's containment room to hold a titan. I guess the SF are the best qualified to keep an eye on her. And you'll be there, right? That's the job he offered you."

"Actually he wants me to train Unit S and to become a member again. I'm still not decided on the latter."

"I understand."

After what he'd been through, he might have enough of being sent on life threatening operations. That's when I remembered something else.

"Hold on. You said he had a bait?"

The frowning returned. "Let's just say he didn't only hire you for your skills, though they are unquestionable. I'm pretty sure Sherlock had something to do with it too."

I was the bait? Was that suppose to be flattering or should I feel angry at the ex Scout Commander. An image of him and Marco and their idiotic smiles popped into my head. I decided that I was sour about it and would give them a piece of my mind later. "And what about the vacation?"

"I've spent the last five years tracking down strains and that titan. It was my condition for that stupid exercise. And from what you told me, you could also use a break, Ms Workaholic."

"Fair." I said, letting out a well timed yawn. "So what's the plan now that you've kidnapped me?"

"Depends. Where do you want to go?"

Getting into his game, I stayed silent a moment lost in thought. It'd been forever since I'd taken a real vacation. Last time was three years ago with the Kilers. Tim had taken us to Austria. But I'd always imagine that if I could escape, it would be somewhere with fresh air, nature... "Well after being stuck in the City for so long, I'd like to go hiking in the mountains. The Alps maybe?"

Just at that moment, we came to a roundabout. But instead of turning on the road going back to the City, he took the opposite one.

"Hey, wrong turn." I warned, but he didn't do anything to slow down or turn around. On the contrary he sped up.

"Where are you going?" I asked, confused.

"Austria."

I raised an eyebrow. "Austria?!"

"Then Germany, Switzerland and France."

"Wait, you were serious about kidnapping me?" I said, as reality caught up to me. "But...but I don't have anything with me. I don't have any warm clothes, pajamas, tooth brush... Do you know how cold it is in the Alps? Heck, I don't even have my phone charger! Are we just taking off like that without telling anyone? How are you planning to..."

"Petra."

"Yes?"

"Be quiet."

I tried to argue but nothing came to mind. So letting out a heavy sighed, I sunk in my seat and shook my head. "We're really doing this, aren't we?" I took out my phone and dialed a number.

" _How's my big girl doing?"_

"Hi Amanda. I'm sorry but I won't be able to come this weekend."

"If your excuse is too much work again, I'm not accepting that." She warned, and I could imagine her brandishing her wooden spoon in my face.

"I've been kidnapped."

She was quiet on the end of the line for a few seconds. _"What?"_

"By the love of my life who's been MIA for five years. He's taking me to the Alps."

"How subtle." Said the driver.

"I don't want to hear that from the guy who attacked and kidnapped me in the same evening." Again, silence. "Mom, are you still here?"

" _Let me get this straight. You got kidnapped by Levi Ackerman and he's taking you to the mountains?"_

I rested my case on what I said about her crazy intuition. "In short yes."

" _I see... and how long is he planning to kidnap you?"_

"A month."

" _Well, you better thank Heaven that Tim wasn't the one who answered the phone. I'm sure you can hear me as well, Levi. If anything happens to my Petra, I will hunt you down and serve up your insides to the crows. I hope we are clear on that."_

"Crystal." Replied the angel.

" _Petra, when you come back I want a formal introduction with Tim. Don't think you're dodging that."_ She was dead serious. _"You know, you don't have to rush things, right?"_

"I'm seriously thinking it through." I promised, though I had already made my decision. "Thanks Amanda. Tell Alec I'm sorry."

" _Be safe. And mostly, take your time. I love you."_

"I love you too, mom. Bye."

I put my phone away and looked at the road ahead. Finally, it looked like our trails had finally fused and that they were going to stay like this a long time. We were silent, but for once it wasn't uncomfortable or awkward. It was just us. Seeing how he was using only one hand to drive, I grabbed the other and observed it. Something surprised me.

"Your nails..." I let out.

"What?"

"They're lighter than before. Like... like they're fading."

"You're imagining things." He said, intertwining our fingers together.

I let out a laugh thinking about Amanda. "Tim will never forgive me. Aside from me calling my mom, we kind of look like runaway teenagers."

"Except there's not going to be any dine and dash or shop lifting involved."

"There isn't?" I teased. "How are you planning to feed us?"

"My salary may not be as big as yours but it's still enough." He retorted.

"I can pay for my share."

"You said it yourself. I kidnapped you, I'm paying."

So, that was us? Bickering like we'd never been apart? Many questions were still asking for answers but... I knew one thing. That I loved him and he loved me.

* * *

A month later, we returned our bodies rested and our minds at peace. In the end, instead of a European tour, we'd ended up staying in an small Monastery in the French Alps. There, we'd spend our time helping out the monks, horse back riding, hiking, resting and mostly rediscovering what we were to each other. We never did more than hold hands. Both of us were slowly understanding our bond beyond touch. And now, we were on our way home. The calm of the mountains was relaxing but now, we were needed back. The City hadn't changed one bit as we drove through it, though Maria seemed brighter. Krista was really making her work count. Finally, we parked the car in front of the house of my family. The four of them were waiting.

"Are you nervous?" I asked him.

"Can't be much harder than fighting blood thirsty monsters." He replied.

I laughed and grabbed his hand. "Don't worry, I'll protect you."

"Hm."

Together, we made our way up the steps leading to the front door. The diamond on my left ring finger, curtesy of my fiancé, glittered, reflecting the sunlight. There was one thing we always disagreed on though. For Levi, our meeting had been a mistake turned luck. I'd just been at the wrong place at the wrong time. While for me, that fateful encounter can only have been written by Heaven itself. Either way, our life was our own now.

 **The end**

* * *

 **This is it guys, the end of a beautiful writing adventure. Thank you all so much for the support wether you started reading two years and a half ago or yesterday. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to PM me, and I hope to see you all very soon in another story! Kudos!**

 **If I may ask a final request of you; I would love it if you could leave your final impression in the reviews! Love you all!**

 **\- Jil**


End file.
